Bohdan Y. Constitutional-legal framework for granting access to information in Ukraine and EU states

Author analyzes right to data access in the context of informational society evolution, expansion and prioritization of information as basis of modern state functioning. Principles regulating the right to information in Ukraine and selected EU states, in particular those contained in international legal acts are presented, comparative analysis of right to information entrenchment in EU states is performed. Is it noted that legal acts of European states clearly regulate all issues related to the right to information and lay an obligation on all member states to implement laws, by laws and administrative provisions required to guarantee the right to information. Analysis shows that the majority of European legal acts regulating the access to information comply with the “maximum disclosure” principle: «All information owned by public bodies is subject to disclosure; exceptions are to be ultimately limited according to the law and public bodies must prove its eligibility».