Montenegro’s obligation to publish open data, i.e. data in a format that facilitates its reuse, is stipulated by the
Law on Free Access to Information. Publishing data in an open format is particularly important for its reuse, allowing for analysis and digital processing.
Publishing data in an open format is also one of the indicators for public administration transparency, in line with the OECD/SIGMA Principles of Public Administration. Therefore, it is included in the WeBER PAR Monitor
methodology for monitoring public administration reform in the Western Balkans. A proactive approach to open
data policy implies that published data can be downloaded by different users, that downloading open data is
free, and that data is published in a machine-readable format.Open data has great potential, especially considering that it becomes available to a wider range of users, that
there are no control mechanisms or restrictions by the author, and that anyone can freely use and analyse it. It
can be of particular importance to the scientific and business community, as well as the civil sector, but it can
also be interesting to citizens.
The aim of this analysis is to provide an overview of the current situation in terms of open data, and to scrutinise
the latest PAR monitoring cycle in the Western Balkans region, the results of which were published in 20225, to
illustrate the extent to which public institutions in Montenegro publish data in an open format in relation to each
area of public administration reform (PAR), and to show how Montenegro ranks in relation to countries in the
region in terms of the publication of these data.