Transparency for everyone: New Freedom of Information Act in Austria!

Transparency for everyone: New Freedom of Information Act in Austria!

September 1, 2025 will go down in Austrian legal history as the beginning of a new era of transparency. With the entry into force of Freedom of Information Act (IFG) Citizens now have a basic right of access to government information. This regulation replaces the previous official secrecy and creates the basis for more traceability of government actions.

The public discourse, fueled by current reports, is already showing the first results of the new regulation. That's how he did it courier important information about sponsorship payments from Wien Energie and Wien Holding to the two major football clubs SK Rapid and FK Austria Wien has been published. Such insights are just the beginning of a new culture of transparency.

Transparency as a goal

The IFG has the clear goal of facilitating access to information and allowing the public to participate in government actions. It stipulates that all requests for information or access to files must be processed quickly by the responsible authorities. This should finally allow Austria's weak ranking in international transparency rankings to improve, which is long overdue compared to other European countries.

Particularly noteworthy is the paradigm shift that comes with the abolition of official secrecy in Austria. The idea that secrecy is the exception and transparency the rule is now firmly entrenched. In addition, a general right to freedom of information is created, which represents a significant turning point in Austria's history. The publication in the Federal Law Gazette on February 26, 2024 marks the official starting signal for this development.

Austria in international comparison

But how does Austria compare to other countries? According to an analysis, Austria can be seen as a latecomer when it comes to introducing transparency measures. While comprehensive transparency laws and central platforms already exist in countries such as the Netherlands and Estonia, these are still partially missing in Austria. Germany, for example, has a Freedom of Information Act that processes individual requests within one month, and in many European countries, community websites are the main medium for ensuring transparency.

Quick access to information is also promoted through a new information register, which provides citizens with the most important data at a glance. In addition, the mandatory rapid provision of information will trigger a cultural change in the way government data is handled.

Overall, it can be said that with the new IFG, Austria has taken a big step towards more openness and participation of the population. Now it remains to be seen how practice will develop and whether the hoped-for transparency will fully become a reality.