Act on the Principle of Freedom of Information (Freedom of Information Act, OeG) (Öffentlichkeitsgesetz, OeG) - Subject and Purpose (OeG)

1. This law regulates the official information provided to the public and access to official documents.

2. Its purpose is to ensure transparency in the work of the authorities and the administration at the cantonal and municipal levels, thereby contributing to the public's free formation of opinion and promoting their trust in the activities of the authorities and administration.

1. This law applies to the authorities of the canton and the municipal communities.

2. Authorities are specifically considered to be

a) the Government Council and the cantonal administration as well as the institutions and corporations of the canton

b) the Municipal Council and the municipal administration as well as the institutions and corporations of the municipal communities

c) third parties, insofar as they fulfill public tasks assigned to them by the canton or the municipalities

d) judicial authorities of the canton, insofar as they perform administrative tasks

e) the Landrat with its committees

3. The law does not apply to the Urner Kantonalbank and to areas in which the municipalities participate in economic competition and act under private law, not fulfilling a public task.

4. Special legislation remains reserved.

1. Access to official documents containing personal data of the applicant is governed by the cantonal Data Protection Act (RB 2.2511).

2. Legal regulations that designate certain information as confidential or provide different conditions for access to certain information than those set out in this Act remain reserved.

1. An official document is any information that

a) is recorded on any information medium

b) is in the possession of an authority from which it originates or to which it has been communicated, and

c) concerns the fulfillment of a public task

2. Documents are not considered official documents if they

a) are used commercially by an authority

b) are not completed, or

c) are intended for personal use

**1. Predominant Public Interests Exist, In Particular, When:**

a) The premature disclosure of official documents would significantly impair decision-making

b) Harm would be caused to the public in other ways, notably through the endangerment of public safety

c) There would be a disproportionate burden on the authority

d) Positions in ongoing and future negotiations and proceedings would be adversely affected

**2. Predominant Private Interests Are Considered, In Particular:**

a) The protection of personal privacy

b) Trade secrets or professional confidentiality

c) The fact that third parties, not subject to this law, have voluntarily provided information with the reservation of confidentiality

**3. Resulting Restrictions on Information Provided Ex Officio or Access to Official Documents Only Concern the Protected Part of a Document or Information and Only Apply As Long As the Predominant Interest in Confidentiality Exists.**

1. The authorities inform the public about their activities, insofar as these are of general interest and overriding public or private interests do not oppose.

2. The government council and the municipal council also inform about the work of their administration. They may delegate this task to the directorates or administrative offices, insofar as their area of activity is concerned.

3. The information is provided in a manner suited to the matter, clearly, and promptly in accordance with the circumstances.

1. Every person has the right to inspect official documents and to receive information from authorities about the content of official documents, unless overriding public or protected private interests oppose this right.

2. The documents can be inspected on-site. Exceptionally and for a fee, the requested authority provides the applicant with copies of the official documents. The legislation on copyright remains reserved.

3. If an official document is published in an official publication organ or on a website of the canton or the municipalities, the claims according to paragraphs 1 and 2 are considered fulfilled.

1. Access to official documents is restricted insofar as overriding public or legitimate private interests oppose it.

2. An overriding public interest is particularly opposed if the information

a) may endanger public order and security

b) may impair decision-making through premature disclosure

c) may impair relations with other entities

d) may thwart or diminish the effectiveness of official measures

e) may cause disproportionate high effort

3. A legitimate private interest is particularly opposed if the information is capable of

a) impairing the protection of privacy

b) violating a professional, business, or trade secret

c) infringing the confidentiality interests of third parties and intellectual property rights

4. The restrictions apply only to the protectable part of an official document and are applicable only as long as the interest exists.

5. Requests for the purpose of exploration, which seek something in unspecified documents without thematic limitation that might reward in-depth knowledge, are not covered by the protection of the Public Access Act.

1. Official documents may only be made accessible once the political or administrative decision for which they serve as the basis has been made.

2. Official documents concerning positions in ongoing and future negotiations are not accessible under any circumstances.

3. The relevant procedural provisions apply to incomplete administrative and judicial proceedings.

4. The further protection of personal data according to the Law on the Protection of Personal Data (RB 2.2511) is reserved.

5. For records created or managed on behalf of the Swiss Confederation, the right to access official documents is governed by federal law.

1. The request for access to official documents must be submitted in writing or electronically. It must specify the relevant official documents with sufficient precision. The applicant has a duty to cooperate.

2. The request must be addressed to the authority that created the document or received it as a primary addressee from third parties not subject to this law. Requests for documents that have already been archived should be directed to the relevant archive.

3. If the authority intends to restrict, postpone, or deny the right of access to an official document and the requesting person disagrees, the matter shall be referred to the data protection officer to attempt an amicable settlement. If the settlement attempt fails, the requested authority shall issue a decision.

4. The procedure is governed by the Administrative Procedure Ordinance, unless otherwise specified by this law.

1. Oral information provided, on-site inspections, and conciliation procedures before the data protection officer are generally free of charge.

2. If the handling of the application involves considerable effort, and for regularly repeated applications, cost-covering fees are charged in accordance with the Fee Ordinance.

3. If the authority intends to impose a fee, it informs the applicant in advance.

1. The Government Council enforces this law. It may issue a regulation to that effect.

1. This law is applicable to official documents that have been created or received by an authority after its entry into force.

**1. The law applies to official documents of the municipalities that are created or received by the municipal authority after the amendment coming into effect on November 30, 2025.**

1. This law is subject to a referendum. The government council determines when it will enter into force.