The National Registry Office for Classified Information (ORNISS) was set up by Government Emergency Ordinance no. 153 of 7th November 2002 , published in the Romanian Official Journal no. 826 of 15th November 2002 , endorsed by Law no. 101/24th March 2003, published in the Romanian Official Journal, Part I, no.207 of 31st March 2003. [legislation]
ORNISS performs regulation, authorization, evidence and control tasks in conformity with the provisions of Law no.182/2002 on the protection of classified information, the National Standards for the protection of classified information in Romania, approved by Government Decision no. 585/2002, and the Norms of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on the protection of classified information in Romania, approved by Government Decision no. 353/2002.
To this end, ORNISS:
a) organizes the inventory of lists and accountability of classified information, of the terms for maintenance of the classification levels, of the personnel cleared and certified for the management of classified information, and of the records of authorizations issued by the bodies holding or using classified information;
b) draws up norms, instructions and procedures for the protection of national and NATO classified information;
c) ensures the observance of both national and NATO standards for the management of classified documents;
d) cooperates with public bodies, including those which, in compliance with the law, perform tasks regarding the protection of classified information;
e) approves the issuance of personnel security clearances for access to national classified information;
f) issues personnel security clearances for access to NATO classified information and for the participation in activities organized within the North-Atlantic Organization;
g) lays down the security requirements for the special rooms and containers, for locking mechanisms, cipher combination systems and padlocks for safeguarding information classified as state secret.
h) organizes and coordinates the training of the security structures and officers within the bodies managing classified information;
i) issues, under the terms provided by the national standards, special authorizations for photographing, filming, map-drawing or producing works of art on the Romanian territory, in premises or places with special relevance regarding the protection of classified information;
j) ensures, through specialized agencies, the implementation of the National Standards for the protection of classified information in Romania and of the Norms for the protection of NATO classified information in Romania within the systems for the electronic processing and transmission of data;
k) coordinates the unitary implementation, at national level, of the protective measures for classified information in the industrial field;
l) issues authorizations and facility security clearances in compliance with the standards in the field;
m) keeps an inventory of the facility security clearances and industrial security authorizations at national level;
n) organizes and controls the National Registry System (NRS) based on the Central Registry;
o) carries out investigations in case of non-observance of the legal security provisions which may induce risks for the security of the classified information, informs the Prime Minister in due time and takes the necessary legal measures;
p) endorses departmental international agreements related to the protection of classified information;
q) coordinates, at the Prime Minister’s order, the activities required for the negotiation and conclusion of international agreements in the field of classified information;
r) accredits and reaccredits the systems for the protection of classified information.
In order to accomplish the tasks assigned, ORNISS is empowered to require the necessary information from the heads of public authorities and bodies, of economic operators with integral or partial state share capital and of other public or private legal persons. The heads of the authorities and public bodies, of economic units with integral or partial state share capital and of other public or private legal bodies are bound to place at ORNISS’ disposal the data and information related to the protection of classified information in their field of activity, except for the cases stipulated by law.