Onderzoeksartikel

Transparante overheidsinformatie als democratisch en economisch goed: uitdagingen voor de ontwikkeling van een transparant informatiebeleid bij de Vlaamse overheid

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Abstract

The government is a source and provider of massive amounts of valuable information for both the economy and society. New digital media offer large possibilities to make that information available to citizens, the media, research organisations, pressure groups, enterprises and public institutions. First of all, the transparency of public sector information is a necessary condition to improve the communication between the government and the citizen, as a voter and as a client, and as such to maintain or regain the citizen’s confidence in government and public administration. Legally offering the citizen access to government information is insufficient, however, the information should also be made accessible. Starting from a conceptual ‘transparency model’ this article focuses on crucial issues confronting the (Flemish) government, when developing a policy to make its information publicly available and accessible. Secondly, the opportunity to select and combine data and to process and disseminate information electronically offer possibilities to private information industries to develop new ‘value added’ products and services based on public sector information. In view of recent policy initiatives at the European level, therefore, the Flemish government also is faced with the need to tackle the problems of re-use and exploitation of public sector information as an economic commodity. These problems do not stand apart from the transparency issue. Insofar as both the information market and democracy can benefit from better (commercial) use of government information, an effective policy of wide-scale active publicity.

How to Cite:

Van Gompel, R., Steyaert, J. & Roe, K., (2002) “Transparante overheidsinformatie als democratisch en economisch goed: uitdagingen voor de ontwikkeling van een transparant informatiebeleid bij de Vlaamse overheid”, Tijdschrift voor Communicatiewetenschap 30(4), 295–314.