The Information Commissioner can:
- perform tasks of regular publication of information, and resolves individual requests for access to information and reuse of information,
- improve the way of processing, classifying, storing and publishing information contained in official documents related to the work of public authorities
- provide the necessary assistance to applicants in connection with the exercise of the rights established by the law
The Information Commissioner cannot:
- revoke or change decisions of courts or state institutions
- examine the evidence in court cases
- punish state officials or private individuals
- give you compensation for a violation of your right to access to information
- provide legal advice not related to your right to access information
- write applications to courts or state institutions or write other legal documents for you
- represent you in the European Court of Human Rights or other international body
The primary function of the Information Commissioner is to protect the right of citizens to access information as a supervisory body, to which citizens can appeal for non-determination of their request for access to information. At the same time, the Commissioner supervises the work of around 6,000 public authorities, monitors the implementation of the Act on the Right to Access to Information, promotes transparency, reports to the Croatian Parliament and the European Commission, educates public authorities and citizens, and cooperates with other authorities and international institutions.
While conducting these activities, the Information Commissioner:
- receives your complaints and decides whether the public authority was right to it deny you information, or orders it to make sure that your request is resolved
- acts on your petitions, when you warn that public authorities are not transparent to the extent or in the manner prescribed by the Act, and directs them to the proper course of action
- conducts inspections of public authorities, determining possible violations of the Act and ordering the public authorities to harmonize their actions with the Act
- monitors how the Act as a whole or some of its provisions is implemented, collects reports from public authorities and prepares a report that is submitted to the Croatian Parliament