Legal Competencies

According to the Law on Classified Information (Official Gazette of RM, no. 9/04) and the Law on Amendments and Supplements to the Law on Classified Information (“Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia“, no. 113/2007) the Directorate for Security of Classified Information has been founded with the purpose to implement the established policy for protection of classified information and the international standards, to carry out the exchange of classified information in line with the international agreements, to exercise inspection supervision of the implementation of the provisions of the Law on Classified Information and of the other regulation concerning classified information, as well as to accomplish other tasks regulated by the Law.

As a result, in general, the legal competencies of the Directorate can be divided in three groups:

  • competencies with internal dimension that refer to the application of the international standards and norms in the exchange of classified information at national level, including the appropriate protection of the received information;
  • competencies with external dimension that refer to the exercising of control on the way in which the classified information that the Republic of Macedonia has released to foreign states and international organizations is safeguarded and protected, as well as the competencies that refer to the participation of the Republic of Macedonia in the Euro-Atlantic structures and the initiation of the international agreements; and
  • other competencies that refer to the development of emergency plans for protection of classified information, as well as to the training of the users of classified information through organizing workshops, seminars and individual consultations.

More specifically, the Directorate:

  • ensures continuous application of the international standards and norms while taking on the measures and activities for protection of the classified information;
  • coordinates the activities for ensuring protection of the classified information with the state bodies and the institutions that exchange classified information with foreign states and international organizations;
  • prepares, organizes, applies and monitors the application of the measures and activities for ensuring protection of classified information that has been released to the Republic of Macedonia by foreign states and international organizations;
  • takes on activities for protection of the classified information that the Republic of Macedonia has released to foreign states and international organizations;
  • participates in the process of developing plans and programs of the Republic of Macedonia for membership in international organizations related to the protection of classified information;
  • plans and accomplishes international cooperation for protection and exchange of classified information;
  • recommends measures for enhancing the protection of classified information;
  • initiates entering into international agreements with foreign states and international organizations related to the exchange of classified information;
  • initiates developing of emergency security plans for protection of classified information;
  • educates the users of classified information and the interested bodies, organizations and individuals in the Republic of Macedonia;
  • exercise inspection supervision of the implementation of the provisions of the Law on Amendments and Supplements to the Law on Classified Information; and
  • accomplishes other tasks regulated with this Law on Classified Information and other legal acts.

The competencies of the Directorate for Security of Classified Information in the area of the inspection supervision of the national classified information were expanded with the Law on Amendments and Supplements to the Law on Classified Information (“Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia, no. 113/07).

As of 2016, in line with the Law on Inspection Supervision of the Republic of Macedonia (“Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia, no. 50/10; 162/10; 157/11; 147/13; 41/14; 33/15) the Directorate, through its licensed inspectors for overseeing the implementation of the provisions of the Law on Classified Information, i.e. meeting of the conditions for hanling classified information at the state organs and the bodies of state administration.