FOI and Ecological Conflict: an Empirical Exercise

This paper examines the impact of potential ecological conflict on municipal compliance with Freedom of Information Act (FOI) regulations. Focusing on those Southern Italian municipalities where projects for the setting of wind energy plants are ongoing, we investigate two critical aspects of FOI compliance: proactive and reactive disclosure. First, the paper analyzes the clarity and completeness of FOI-related information provided on municipal websites. This addresses the research question: To what extent do Italian municipalities, particularly those involved in wind-farm projects, effectively communicate clear and complete instructions for the exercise of access rights? A systematic content analysis evaluates the quality of FOI-related information, emphasizing municipalities with heightened environmental decision-making responsibilities. Second, the paper evaluates the responsiveness of these municipalities to FOIA requests through a field experiment. The experiment measures the effectiveness, timing, and quality of responses to standardized requests for information, addressing the question: Do municipalities effectively respond to access requests, and what are the determinants of such effectiveness? The analysis highlights patterns of responsiveness and identifies factors influencing the disclosure of information in contexts of potential ecological conflict. By focusing on municipalities involved in wind-farm projects, this research sheds light on the practical implementation of FOI in environmentally sensitive contexts. The findings contribute to the broader understanding of transparency and accountability in local governance under conditions of ecological conflict.