DECREE ON THE OPENNESS OF GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES AND ON GOOD 
PRACTICE IN INFORMATION MANAGEMENT  12.11.1999/1030  
 
On the submission of the Ministry of Justice, the following is enacted on the basis of 
sections  
18 and 36 of the Act on the Openness of Government Activities, given on 21 May 1999  
(621/1999):  
 
Chapter 1 – Ensuring good practice in information management  
 
Section 1 – Assessments in support of good practice in information management  
 
(1) In order to plan and implement the measures referred t o in section 18, paragraph 1,  
subparagraph 4 of the Act on the Openness of Government Activities (621/1999), and  
utilising the archive formation plan referred to in the Archives Act (831/1994), the  
authority shall clarify and assess the significance of its  documents and information  
system and the data stored therein as well as its document and information management.  
In the assessment of the need for measures, attention shall be paid to how the following  
can be secured:  
 
(1) the right of access to official documents in the public domain;  
(2) the obligation to produce and disseminate information and to provide information on  
pending matters;  
(3) the protection of personal data, in particular sensitive data;  
(4) the protection of documents which under law shou ld be kept secret;  
(5) restrictions on the purpose for which data can be used;  
(6) the usability, integrity and quality of the data in the performance of the functions of  
the authority and in co -operation among authorities;  
(7) the  quality of the data in particular when they are used as the basis for decisions  
regarding individuals or corporations or as indicators of rights and obligations.  
 
(2) In addition, in order to implement good information management practice, an assessment  
and evaluation shall be made of risks to the availability, usability, quality and protection  
of data as well as to the security of information systems, of methods available to decrease  
and eliminate such risks, and of the costs as well as other effects of t hese measures.  
 
(3) On the basis of the assessments referred to in subparagraphs 1 and 2 the authority shall  
assess and implement the measures necessary to achieve goods information management  
practice.  
 
Section 2  and 3  – repealed by the Decree of the Council of State on data protection in the 
state administration, 1.7.2010, 2010/681  
 
Section 4 – Instructions, supervision and monitoring  
 
(1) In planning the measures referred to in section 18, paragraph 1, subparagraph 5 of the 
Act 
on the Openness of Gov ernment Activities, particular attention shall be paid to the  
following:   
(1) the authority to grant access to documents is defined;  
 
(2) sufficient instructions are given on the registration of matters and documents and on  
the proper processing and protec tion of documents, data systems and the information  
contained in them at the different stages of consideration;  
 
(3) lists and documents that describe pending matters as well as lists and documents that  
have  been prepared to implement the obligation to provide information on such  
matters are kept up to date.  
 
(2) The implementation of instructions and measures shall be monitored to the extent  
necessary, their suitability as well as the need for reform shall b e assessed at suitable  
intervals, and steps shall be taken to correct any defects noted.  
 
Chapter 2 – Fulfilling and promoting the rights to obtain information  
 
Section 5 – Document registers  
 
(1) In order to follow up on matters under its consideration, th e authority shall maintain  
information on what diaries, lists, directors and other document management registers  
(document registers ) it has or on how information regarding the public documents that the  
authority has can otherwise be obtained.  
 
(2) The aut hority shall ensure that the relationship between document registers is clarified 
and 
that, if possible, a matter under consideration is registered only once and that with the help  
of the document registers the orders given on the basis of the Archives Act  regarding the  
registration and listing of documents can be followed.  
 
Section 6 –Information to be recorded in document registers  
 
(1) Entries shall be made in the document register, in respect of matters given to or taken by  
the authority for consideration, on:  
 
(1) who submitted the matter, the date on which the document arrived or, if the document  
has been prepared by the authority, the date on which it was prepared, and on the  
nature of the matter;  
 
(2) interim  measures that have been taken, such as proceedings as well as requests for  
clarification and comment as well as the related documents;  
 
(3) final measures in the matter and the related documents.  
 
(2) In planning and preparing the document register care s hall be taken that the document  
register can be used effortlessly to provide information on the public notations made in it.  
(3) Separate provisions and orders apply to the archive list and court diaries as well as other  
document registers.  
 Section 7 – Maintaining public access to document registers  
 
(1) The public shall be allowed access to document registers and the archive formation plan  
referred to in section 8 of the Archives Act in the registry or other public service point of  
the authority.  
 
(2) The  diary scheme in use and the other bases for organizing documents shall be appended  
to the document register  
Section 8 – Information system descriptions  
 
(1) The authority shall prepare a description of the information system it maintains, 
indicating  
the pu rpose of the information system and the data contained therein. The public shall be  
provided access to the description in the registry or other public service point of the  
authority, unless indicated otherwise by the secrecy provisions. The description may  also 
be incorporated as part of the archive formation plan.  
 
(2) Separate provisions apply to the register description that is to be prepared on personal 
data 
files.  
 
Chapter 2 a – Communication in State administration (23 May 2002/380)  
 
Section 8 a – The purpose of communication by State authorities (23 May 2002/380)  
 
(1) The purpose of information, publishing and other communication by State administrative  
authorities, other State offices and institutions as well as courts and other judicial  
authoriti es (State authorities ) is to promote openness and produce and distribute  
information that provides individuals and corporations with opportunities to formulate as  
true a picture as possible of the activity of the authorities, to influence matters of general  
importance that are pending before the administrative authorities, and to protect their  
interests and rights.  
 
(2) In planning and implementing communication by Stat e authorities consideration shall be  
given to the significance of communication in the effective performance of the statutory  
functions of the authority and in co -operation between the authority and nongovernmental  
organisations as well as interest groups.  
 
Section 8 b – The planning of communication (23 May 2002/380)  
 
(1) The State authority shall, with consideration to its statutory duties and the assessments  
referred to in section 1, assess and plan measures in order to fulfil the obligations  
contained i n sections 19 and 20 of the Act on the Openness of Government Activities  
(communication plan ). 
 
(2) In preparing the communication plan, particular attention shall be paid to how the  
following can be achieved:  
 
(1) ensuring  the ability of individuals and corporations to obtain information on pending  matters of general importance and to present their views at different stages of the  
proceedings;  
 
(2) providing general advice on the services provided by the authorities and mat ters 
pending before the authorities, so that to the extent possible said advice reaches those  
who are entitled to such services as well as others who are in need of the advice;  
 
(3) attending to the needs of the Swedish -speaking population for receiving in formation  
on matters related to the life, health and safety of the individual and in order to secure  
their rights;  
 
(4) attending to the different special information needs of various population groups,  
non-governmental organisations, corporations and the mass media towards the  
activity of the authority;  
 
(5) carrying out communication in co -operation with other authorities and private  
corporations;  
 
(6) arranging the monitoring of communication.  
 
(3) The communication plan shall be reviewed sufficiently of ten. 
 
Section 8 c – The arrangement of communication (23 May 2002/380)  
 
The authority shall ensure that the prerequisites for communication have been secured in  
order to achieve openness in the authority’s activity. For this purpose particular care shall  
be taken that:  
 
(1) the ability of those responsible for public information to obtain information at a  
sufficiently early stage on matters coming to the authority, matters pending before the  
authority and other matters requiring communication is secured;  
 
(2) the co -operation between those attending to communication duties has been properly  
arranged;  
 
(3) officials responsible for presentation and preparation have been sufficiently trained  
and instructed on how to participate in the planning and implementat ion of  
communication.  
 
Chapter 3 – Miscellaneous provisions  
 
Section 9 – Entry into force  
 
This Decree shall enter into force on 1 December 1999.  
 
Section 10 – Transitional provisions (23 May 2002/380)  
 
The document registers referred to in section 5 above  and the information system  
descriptions referred to in section 8 shall be prepared at the latest on 30 November 2000,  the reports referred to in section 1 at the latest on 30 November 2001 and the  
communication  plan referred to in section 8 b at the latest on 31 May 2003. Data systems  
and their data protection arrangements and instructions that were taken into use before 1  
December 1999 shall be brought into accord with this Decree at the latest on 30  
November 2 004. 
 
Entry into force and application of the amending provisions:  
 
23 May 2002/380:  
(1) This Decree shall enter into force on 1 June 2002.  
(2) Measures required for the implementation of this Decree may be undertaken before the  
Decree enters into force