The Report recalls the importance of the principle of transparency, including access to information held by public authorities, for democracy and good governance in general and for the fight against corruption in particular. The Report considers legitimate, well-defined national security interests as valid grounds for withholding information. At the same time, access to information forms a crucial component of national security, by enabling democratic participation, sound policy formulation and public scrutiny of State action.

Speaking at the plenary, the Head of the National Assembly’s standing delegation to PACE, Aleksandra Djurovic stressed that bodies of parliamentary and judiciary oversight play a key role in maintaining the system of checks and balances in the security sector. These bodies should be regulated by law and cover all the aspects of the security sector. EU member states have no binding standards in the sphere, but at the same time expect the candidate countries to meet certain standards. The National Assembly’s Security Services Control Committee has in just a year since its establishment undertaken all the necessary steps toward meeting EU requirements and standards. The Assembly Committee enjoys excellent cooperation with the Security Information Agency both as regards the parliamentary control of the agency’s work and the importance of its transparency.

Tomorrow, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe will be addressed by President Tomislav Nikolic – a widely anticipated an event.