As a result of ambiguities surrounding the interpretation of numerous terms used in the list of information constituting state secrets, a decree was signed by the Russian president in mid-February establishing strict new definitions.
On Feb. 13, 2006 Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, signed the decree “On the list of information constituting state secrets". According to the reference notes of the decree, the new list differs from the current version both in terms of form and content.
The federal executive agencies authorized to access information considered to be a state secret have been confirmed by the new structure, in line with a presidential decree of May 20, 2004. There has also been clarification of the powers of the federal agencies regarding secret information within their competence in compliance with another presidential decree from April 16, 2005.
New supplementary definitions have also been listed for a number of state objects including nuclear complexes. The main reason for their inclusion in the new amended decree is the fact that the understanding of where they were represented in the state agencies' secrecy regime was unclear in practice.
“Unfortunately, the text of the decree has not yet been published, so evaluating the level of clarity of the new terminology is difficult. Nevertheless, the very fact that the Russian government has recognized that ambiguities exist in the current laws and decrees relating to state secrets means there is some optimism for the future," believes Denis Zenkin, marketing director at InfoWatch.
Source: Kremlin.ru
