Macedonian delegation visits the e-Governance Agency North Macedonia
A delegation from the Agency for Protection of the Right to Free Access to Public Information (ASPI), led by its director, visited Tallinn from 5 to 7 November 2025 as part of the EU Twinning Light project to strengthen the right to free access to public information. The focus was on learning about the systematic publication of information on the websites of public institutions through practical examples, lectures, discussions and technical demonstrations.
The participants were impressed by the level of digitisation, automation and transparency at the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the e-Estonia Briefing Centre, the Information Security Authority (RIA), the e-Governance Agency (eGA), the Ministry of Justice and the Estonian Data Protection Inspectorate.
The Estonian interlocutors emphasised that the transparency of public administration was one reason for the Estonian population's enormous trust in their state. This is also reflected in Estonia's excellent position in the anti-corruption ranking. The Macedonian delegation is motivated to follow this path, which Estonia began more than 20 years ago.
The study trip left a lasting impression on the participants, as it demonstrated the great potential of digitalisation and transparency in combating crises of confidence in states and democracies. It can make administration more efficient, citizen-friendly and faster, and successfully combat corruption.
The EU Twinning project team after the Kick-off-Meeting (from left to right): Plamenka Bojceva (Project Leader North Macedonia), Tanja Kovachev (Component Leader 2), Matina Schloegel (Project Leader Germany), Katharina Tegeder (IRZ Project Coordinator) Petar Gajdov (Component Leader 1), Tim Fellmann (German Component Leader 1) and Gereon Müller-Chorus (Project Manager IRZ) North Macedonia
IRZ has been awarded the contract for the EU Twinning Light Project ‘Supporting free access to information’. Through its Twinning Projects, the European Union supports partnerships between authorities in EU member states and their partner states to build public structures in line with European values and standards.
As part of this new project, IRZ will support its North Macedonian partners in the coming months in bringing the Law on Free Access to Public Information (LFAPI) into line with EU regulations and best practices. In addition, the institutional capacities of the staff of the Agency for Protection of the Right to Free Access to Public Information (ASPI) and selected other pilot institutions will be strengthened. In up to 16 missions on site and during two study trips to EU countries, German and European experts will work closely with their Macedonian colleagues to bring freedom of information in North Macedonia into line with European requirements and standards.
To kick off the project, the project partners met with the EU delegation in Skopje for the first time on 19 and 20 May 2025 to discuss the concrete implementation of the project over the next ten months. Under the leadership of Dr Martina Schlögel from the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (BfDI) and Mr Tim Fellmann from the Thuringian State Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (TLfDI), they specified the work plan with the ASPI.
During this two-day start-up mission, the responsible project and component managers from both sides – also in exchange with the EU delegation – were able to clearly define priorities, determine concrete steps and begin direct cooperation.
Are you also interested in Twinning Projects, in which IRZ has been involved as a so-called ‘mandated body’ in more than 90 projects since 1998? Here you will find further information about their partnership approach to building public structures in line with EU administrative practice.
The Twinning Project is the responsibility of Ms Tegeder, who manages and coordinates the EU Twinning and Action Grants project area.
The participants of workshop in Belgrade Western Balkans region
At the end of 2024, German-speaking (junior) lawyers and language mediators from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, who had already taken part in various internships, language courses and courses on German law organised by the IRZ, discussed current topics in German law and the participating countries at the Institute for Comparative Law in Belgrade.
The aim of the workshop, which was conducted entirely in German, was not only to strengthen the legal knowledge of the alumni, but also to improve their ability to exchange ideas in German on legal issues and to network with each other.
The participants themselves also gave presentations on topics such as the legal requirements for the EU accession sought by the partner states in the Western Balkans and comparative legal presentations on German law and the law of the region. Other priorities were constitutional law and legal training for trainee lawyers in Germany on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Basic Law.
The extensive programme of events was interspersed with entertaining elements such as a quiz on German law and the presentation of a birthday cake for the Basic Law, which was accepted by the Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Serbia, Mr Carsten Meyer-Wiefhausen.
