Expert discussions on the preparation of Draft Arrangement concerning industrial security between the SCIS and the Department for Public Works and Government Services Canada

Posted on 07 Sep 2010 12:11:12

Today, 1 September 2010, at the Headquarters of the State Commission on Information Security, expert negotiations with representatives of the Department for Public Works and Government Services Canada are being held. The theme of the consultations is the preparation of Draft Arrangement concerning industrial security between the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Department for Public Works and Government Services Canada.

The briefings are attended by Mrs. Mariya Mateva – Member of the Commission for Personal Data Protection and by representatives of the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Interior and the Security Services. The theme of the briefings is the legal framework of the personnel and industrial security of the two states.

Mr. Pilon – the Director of the International Industrial Security Directorate to the Department for Public Works and Government Services Canada - made a presentation on industrial security – Role and Functions in Canada.

The Canadian legislation, which governs the issues concerning the protection of the security of information, divides the information in two categories – protected information, related to the personal data protection, and classified information which correlates with the classified information according to the Bulgarian legislation.

The legal framework of this matter in Canada includes the Security of Information Act, the Privacy Act, the Security Policies of the Government of Canada /which by their nature are sublegal acts/.

The originating law in the field of the protection of information is the adopted Security of Information Act in Canada, with its last amendment in 2001. The next are the Privacy Act, the Financial Administration Act, which regulates not only the commercial relations concerning the economy inside the country, but governs the delegation of rights with regard to industrial security, the Public Works and Government Services Department Act, which regulates the mandate of the respective minister, related to the protection of classified information, and the Defence Production Act. 

According to the Policy of the Canadian Government, the security agencies, which co-ordinate the activity between the Department of Public Works and Government Services Canada and the Cabinet of the Prime Minister, have the leading and determining role with regard to security.  

During the presentation the different state authorities and services were introduced, as their place in the executive power of Canada was explained in details as follows: Office to the Prime Minister, which has advisory competences in the field of industrial security; Department on Emergency Situations and Technological Incidents, the Canadian Royal Mounted Police, which does the vetting procedure on individuals, the Canadian Intelligence Service, which collects and analyses information; the Military Intelligence which is competent in the military sphere; the National Communication Security Authority which guaranties the security of information and the information systems; the Foreign Affairs Department, which is competent only on NATO information.

The Department for Public Works and Government Services Canada, which is the analogue of the State Commission on Information Security in Bulgaria, provides guidance on the activity on the protection of information in all the phases of the pre-contractual and contractual relations and the necessary access to industrial security.

Canada has signed Arrangements concerning industrial security with 13 states until the moment, and Mr. Pilon ended his first presentation by expressing to the Chairperson of the SCIS Mrs. Markova and to the guests presented, the willingness Bulgaria to become one of these states, with which Canada will establish long-lasting ties and relations in the field of industrial security.

In the afternoon the Canadian delegation continued with presentations on military industry, industrial security and the protection of classified and protected information.