An act on the access to the personal file and the disclosure of the Securitate as a political police was passed in Romania on December 7th, 1999. On its basis in May 16th, 2000 the Parliament decided to create the National Council for Researching the Secret Police "Securitate" Archives (CNSAS).
The National Council is an autonomous, specialized public institution placed in the frames of the central public administration. It is headed by the College consisting of 11 members nominated for the period of 6 years. The National Council is controlled by the Parliament. Its main responsibility is to provide access to the documents of the Securitate, research the files for the scientific purposes as well as these connected with the lustration process and engage into international co-operation in order to effectively disseminate knowledge and information concerning former Communist security services. Private people, institutions, political parties, NGOs, journalists and researchers are entitled to have access to the documents.
The delegation of the Romanian National Council for Researching the Secret Police Archives visited the Institute of National Remembrance in Warsaw on October 22nd, 2001. It presented the scope of activities, structure and achievements of the CNSAS. The Romanian delegation informed about Romanian-German co-operation as well as their contacts with similar institutes in Bulgaria, Czech Republic and Hungary.
Further co-operation and a visit of the representatives of the Institute of National Remembrance in Bucharest have been planned.
