Information Policy

of the Commission on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution

Resolution of the 13th Meeting of the Commission on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution

The Commission on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution took note of the developed document and the work carried out in incorporating comments from the countries and approved the document.

Introduction

[What is the Black Sea Commission, Institutional Setup, Information Flows resulting from the Implementation of the Convention on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution].

1 Goals & Objectives of the Information Policy

The main goals and objectives of this document is to provide a framework document outlining the information release and dissemination policy to be applied by the Commission on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution. The goals and objectives arise from the strategic goals of the Convention on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution and the Black Sea Strategic Action Plan.

· Provide a framework for information exchange

· Decrease withholding of information due to lack of institutionalization

· Improve information flow

2 Basic Principles of the Information Policy

2.1 The Principle of Free Access to Information

The principle of free access to information postulates that information provided to and y he Commission on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution is provided for with a non-profit goal as distinct form commercial information services.

An extension of this principle also postulates that access to information is free and unrestricted, i.e. the Commission on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution strives to provide maximum information on the state of the environment, on its activities and to ensure transparency and accountability.

2.2 The Principle of Data Copyright and Data Ownership

The principle of data copyright on information provided to and received from the Black Sea Commission postulates that the Black Sea Commission observes, respects and upholds the data ownership and copyright holders of the data source, to and within the limits of the original data ownership and copyright holders.

2.3 The Principle of Maximum Access to Information

This principle postulates that the Black Sea Commission itself does not impose any additional restrictions on the use of information other than those imposed by the original author, data owner or copyright owner. /p>

2.4 The Principle of Encouraging Information Dissemination

The Black Sea Commission welcomes and encourages the widest spread of information on its activities, etc.

2.5 The Principle of Information Audit and Information Traceability

According to this principle the information should be quoted either “by reference” or “by source”. Quotation “by reference” allows the final information or assessment to be traced back by following the chain of previous references, whereas the “quotation by source” allows direct access to the information source. It is recommended that information either be quoted “by reference” or “by source” through the data flow and data assessment process. This facilitates the traceability and audit of the information. A combination of the two quotation methods makes it more time consuming to trace information and observe the respective ownership and copyrights.

2.6 Meta data database, information sources register and information logging and reistering

This principle postulates that information transfer and assessment should be logged and registered to the most possible and practical extent to ensure data traceability and auditing.

3 Information Access Levels

3.1 Unrestricted Access

By definition the unrestricted level — allows access to any information on the work of the Black Sea Commission and its institutions and subsidiary organs.

3.2 Restricted Access

Restricted levels of access imply that either the original data owners’ restrictions are transferred at each stage of the information processing and assessment. Restrictions may be in several forms:

· Access restrictions — these comprise limitations on accessing the data

· Conditional restrictions — these restrictions mean that the data may be accessed but its further processing, release or re-release or releasing may be subject to conditions and terms of use.

4 Information Types

4.1 Classification of information types

The classification of information types is based on the following three groups of criteria:

4.1.1 Information source

The information source classification follows the institutional source of information: i.e.

· Black Sea Commission

· National governments,

· National government institutions,

· private entities,

· independent or scientific research,

· project/task specific data

· miscellaneous

4.1.2 Information content

The information types are defined based on the conclusions and assessments which can be made based on certain raw or aggregated data. Thus, information which serves to enable assessment of the state of the environment, including marine environment, biodiversity, is termed as ‘environmental information’. Information which allows the assessment of the sources of effects on the environment, thus enabling conclusions on the relationships between human activities and their effect on the environment shall be termed ‘pressures information’. Information relating to the institutional structure of the Black Sea Commission and its subsidiary organs, its activities on a daily, monthly or annual basis shall be termed ‘administrative information’. Information relating to financial matters of the Commission on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution, covering the annual budget of the Black Sea Commission, direct contributions to the budget from other financing sources, the execution of the income and expenditure sections thereof, shall be termed ‘financial information’.

Thus according to this criteria information is divided into:

· Environmental information

· Pressures information

· Administrative information

· Financial information

4.1.3 Assessment purposes according to the Driving Forces — Pressures — State — Impact — Response analysis scheme

According to the assessment needs of the Driving Forces — Pressures — State — Impact — Response (DFPSIR) the information may be classified according to its role in the assessment of each component of the DFPSIR hus it may be divided into:

· Information serving the assessment of driving forces

· Information serving the assessment of pressures

· Information serving the assessment of the state of the environment

· Information serving the assessment of the impact on the environment

· Information serving the assessment of the response of the environment

5 Information Users/ User Groups

Information users and user groups are defined for the purposes of this Information Policy Document as those groups which differ in their access rights to different types of information according to the classification of information types made above.

5.1 General Public

The general public user group includes anyone who is not a member of the Black Sea Commission Institutional Network.

5.2 Black Sea Commission Institutional Network

The Black Sea Commission Institutional Network includes all institutions participating in the or being designated to participate in the implementation of the Convention on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution and the Strategic Action Plan. It comprises the following sub groups:

5.2.1 The Black Sea Commissioners

These are member of the Black Sea Commission from the respective countries, designated and nominated in accordance with the Convention on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution.

5.2.2 The Permanent Secretariat

This group includes the Permanent Secretariat and its members — officers nominated by the

5.2.3 Advisory Groups

This group includes the respective Advisory Groups set up and operating within the framework of the Convention on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution

5.2.4 Focal Points

This group includes the respective Focal Points nominated in implementation of the Convention on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution

5.3 Black Sea Commission Partners

This group includes the official representatives, their deputies or proxies and employees or servants of other national, regional or international organizations whose relations with the Black Sea Commission are formalized in agreements, memoranda of understanding or other form or whose goals and purpose intersect or share similarity with those of the Black Sea Commission.

The relationship of these groups is presented below:

6 Information Policy Matrix

The Information Policy Matrix is the information policy in respect to release, disclosure applied to each Information type in respect to each user group as defined above.