DECREE • 40

17 February 1998

for establishment of a Coordination Council on Information Society Problems

(Published in the State Gazette, issue 22/1998)

THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS ENACTS:

Article 1. (1) Establishes a Coordination Council on Information Society Problems, called hereafter "the Coordination Council", as a specialised body on problems of the Information Society in the Republic of Bulgaria.

(2) The Coordination Council:

1. assists the Council of Ministers in determining the national information policy;

2. develops and submits for adoption by the Council of Ministers the strategy and the national programme for development of the Information Society in the Republic of Bulgaria;

3. organizes, coordinates and supervises the activities and measures undertaken by the state bodies and organizations with respect to the issues of the Information Society;

4. analyses the information on the state and trends of development of the Information Society at international and national level;

5. submits to the Council of Ministers projects for amendment of normative acts in connection with the international obligations of the country related to the Information Society;

6. gives opinions on draft-laws related to the Information Society;

7. proposes to the Council of Ministers the state bodies that are to represent the Republic of Bulgaria in the special committees and working groups on matters related to the Information Society;

8. coordinates and organizes the participation of the Republic of Bulgaria in fora on matters of the Information Society, as well as in joint activities in this sphere;

9. coordinates the activity on collecting and provision of information related to the creation of the Information Society;

10. publishes regularly information about its activity.

(3) The Coordination Council reports its activity before the Council of Ministers.

Article 2. (1) The Coordination Council consists of a chairman, two deputy-chairmen and members.

(2) The Coordination Council is chaired by the Deputy Prime-Minister and Minister of Regional Development and Public Works.

(3) The Deputy-Chairmen of the Coordination Council are:

1. the Minister of the State Administration;

2. the President of the Committee of Posts and Telecommunications.

(4) Members of the Coordination Council are: the Deputy-Minister of Foreign Affairs; the Deputy-Minister of Finance; the Deputy-Minister of Education and Science; the Deputy-Minister of Industry; the Deputy-Minister of Agriculture, Forests and Agricultural Reform; the Deputy-Minister of Environment and Waters; the Deputy-Minister of Trade and Tourism; the Deputy-Minister of Justice and Judicial Eurointegration; the Deputy-Minister of Regional Development and Public Works; the Deputy-Minister of Culture; the Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs; the Deputy-Minister of Transport; the Deputy-Minister of Health; the Deputy-Minister of Labour and Social Policy; the Deputy-Minister of Defence; the first Deputy-Chief of Staff of the Bulgarian Army; the Vice-President of the Committee of Standardization and Metrology; the Deputy-Chairman of the National Statistical Institute; the Head of the Press-Office of the Council of Ministers.

(5) The nominal composition of the members of the Coordination Council is specified by the Chairman of the Coordination Council at the proposal of the Minister or Head of the relevant institution.

(6) The members of the Coordination Council represent the ministries and institutions that have proposed them and express their views.

(7) The operative servicing of the Coordination Council is carried out by a secretary who is an official in the Committee of Posts and Telecommunications, elected by the Coordination Council at the proposal of the President of CPT.

(8) The ministries and institutions provide for the execution of the decisions of the Coordination Council within their competences.

Article 3 .(1) The Coordination Council can involve in its work representatives of other state bodies that are not included in its composition, bodies of the local self-management, scientific, technical and other organizations and societies that have something in common with the issues of the Information Society.

(2) The Coordination Council can involve experts on specific matters and tasks, related to the Information Society.

(3) Remuneration of the experts under Article 2 is from the fund "National communication system", created by Decree • 114/1991 of the Council of Ministers (published in the State Gazette, issue 51/1991; amended issues 13,39 and 87/1992).

(4) If necessary, the Coordination Council can set up working groups, topically oriented to the problems of the Information Society.

Article 4. (1) The Chairman of the Coordination Council:

1. represents the Coordination Council;

2. sets dates for meetings, defines the agenda and presides over the meetings of the Coordination Council;

3. organizes and supervises the execution of the decisions of the Coordination Council;

4. puts forward opinions and proposals, adopted by the Coordination Council, for consideration by the Council of Ministers.

(2) In the absence of the Chairman, his functions are taken over by one of the Deputy-Chairmen.

Article 5. The Secretary of the Coordination Council:

1. organizes the preparation of the meetings of the Coordination Council;

2. keeps the documentation of the Coordination Council;

3. collects and classifies the information on the execution of the decisions of the Coordination Council.

Article 6. (1) The meetings of the Coordination Council are convened by the Chairman on his initiative following a decision from the last meeting or at the request of at least three members of the Coordination Council. The Chairman can also convene a meeting at the proposal of the secretary, when important documents are put forward for consideration by organizations or institutions outside those represented in the Coordination Council.

(2) The Coordination Council holds meetings at least twice a year.

(3) The agenda and materials concerning the meeting are distributed among the members of the Coordination Council not later than 10 days before the date of the meeting.

(4) Every member of the Coordination Council can propose changes in the agenda, as well as inclusion of new items in it, not later than 5 days before the date of the meeting. The Coordination Council takes decisions on the introduction of changes in the agenda at the meeting.

Article 7 .(1) The meetings of the Coordination Council are legitimate if they are attended by at least two-thirds of its members. The decisions are voted by ordinary majority by the members present at the meeting.

(2) By way of exception, the members of the Coordination Council can be represented at the meetings by employees, appointed and authorised in writing by the corresponding minister of head of institution after coordination with the Chairman. The persons authorised by this procedure have the right to vote when taking decisions.

(3) Minutes are taken of every meeting of the Coordination Council that are signed by the Chairman. Attached to the minutes are the documents, considered at the meeting, the decisions and the relevant authorisations.

Final regulations

& 2. This Decree is issued on the grounds of Article 105 of the Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria and Article 3 of the Regulations for the structure and organization of the work in the Council of Ministers and of its administration, adopted by virtue of Decree • 166/1996 of the Council of Ministers (published in the State Gazette, issue 61, 1996; amended issues 27 and 45,1997).

&3. The execution of the Decree is assigned to the Chairman of the Coordination Council.

Minister of State Administration: Mario Tagarinski