Public Administration Archive Management
According to the new Law Law 4610/2019 of the General State Archives (GSA) (see Article 171, para. 4), the Department for the Supervision of Active and Semi-Active Archives, Selection, Accession and Disposal of Inactive Archives of the Directorate of Acquisition and Processing of Archives is responsible for:
- identifying, collecting and recording archives
- monitoring the disposal of inactive archives
- supervising the implementation of archival policy
- cooperating with liaison officers appointed by the competent services
- selecting archives scheduled for disposal by public services and ensuring the transfer to the GSA of those selected for permanent preservation
- developing archival education and training programmes for employees of the wider public sector
- providing guidance to public, private and special historical archives and collections
- providing guidance to the regional services of the GSA
- handling any other related matters
Who is required to clear their records
Entities
- Public Services (Central & Regional)
- Regions
- Public Law Legal Entities
- Local Government Authorities
Time of the clearances
During the first quarter of each year, the process is carried out in order to prevent the accumulation and deterioration of archival material.
Legislation for selecting and clearing files
Legislation
- Law 4610/2019 Synergies between Universities and Technological Educational Institutes (TEIs), access to higher education, experimental schools, the General State Archives and other provisions
- Presidential Decree 162/1979 , On the disposal of archives of Public Services
- Presidential Decree 768/1980 , On the disposal of archives of Public Law Legal Entities (NPDD)
- Presidential Decree 87/1981 , On the disposal of archives of Public Services and Public Law Legal Entities (NPDD)
- Presidential Decree 480/1985 , Disposal of archives of Local Government Authorities (OTA) and their institutions, public law entities and associations
- Presidential Decree 25/2014 , Electronic records and digitization of documents
Registration legislation (by entity)
Special Legislation by Ministry and Authority
- Presidential Decree 320/1979, On the disposal of archives of the Central and Regional Services of the Ministry of the Interior
- Presidential Decree 106/1979, On the disposal of archives of the Ministry of the Presidency of the Government
- Presidential Decree 899/1980, On the disposal of archives of the Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs and of the School Funds
- Presidential Decree 835/1979, On the disposal of archives of the Ministry of Merchant Marine
- Presidential Decree 456/1991, Replacement of Article 3 of Presidential Decree 835/1979
- Royal Decree 541/1962, On the division and subdivision of the archives of the services of the Ministry of Merchant Marine
- Presidential Decree 552/1979, On the disposal of archives of the Ministry of Justice
- Royal Decree 120/1966, On the method of destruction of obsolete archives of judicial services
- Royal Decree 573/1965, On the method of destruction of archives of Mortgage Registries and Civil Registry Offices
- Presidential Decree 423/1979, On the disposal of archives of the Ministry of Public Order
- Presidential Decree 245/1997, Disposal of archives of services of the Hellenic Police
- Presidential Decree 180/1999, Amendment of Presidential Decree 245/1997
- Presidential Decree 11/1981, On the disposal of archives of the Ministry of Social Services
- Presidential Decree 77/1977, On the simplification of the procedure for the disposal of archives
- Royal Decree 172/1973, On the archives of the services of the Ministry of Social Services
- Presidential Decree 1258/1981, Disposal of archives of hospitals and social welfare institutions
- Presidential Decree 365/1981, On the disposal of archives of the Ministry of Agriculture
- Presidential Decree 430/1979, On the disposal of archives of the Ministry of Transport and Communications
- Presidential Decree 381/1991, Amendment of Presidential Decree 430/1979
- Presidential Decree 176/2007, Supplement to Presidential Decree 430/1979
- Presidential Decree 2/1980, On the disposal of archives of the Postal Savings Bank
- Presidential Decree 722/1979, On the disposal of archives of the Ministry of Commerce
- Presidential Decree 358/1979, On the disposal of archives of the Ministry of Labour
- Presidential Decree 185/2006, Supplement to Presidential Decree 358/1979
- Presidential Decree 469/1983, Disposal of archives of OAED (Manpower Employment Organization)
- Presidential Decree 128/1986, Disposal of archives of social insurance organizations
- Presidential Decree 276/2000, Disposal of archives of the Ministry of Finance
- Presidential Decree 57/1980, On the disposal of archives of the Ministry of Finance
- Ministerial Decision 1086260/1023/0006 B/POL 1176/03.09.1992, Disposal of archives of Tax Offices (DOY) and KE.P.Y.O.
- Presidential Decree 486/1979, On the disposal of archives of the Ministry of Coordination
- Presidential Decree 225/1980, On the disposal of archives of the Ministry of Culture
- Presidential Decree 229/1993, Management and disposal of archives of the Ministry of Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works
- Presidential Decree 82/2014, Disposal of archives of the “Greek Ombudsman”
Circulars of the Ministry of Interior and Administrative Reconstruction
Circulars
- DIADP/G2g/22391/23.10.2001 (see also Ministry of the Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization, Regulation on Communication between Public Services, Athens 2003)
- DIADP/F.B.6/18460/15.09.2011 (ADA: 4A8KX-BYR) , “Measures for the safeguarding of archives of the Public Sector, Local Government Authorities (OTA) and entities of the wider public sector”
- DIADIPYD/TSPEAD/F.3/36705/25.11.2015 (ADA: 6THO465FTH-R02) , “Disposal of archives of the public sector – Transfer of the archival material of the primary committees for the rehabilitation of civil servants persecuted by the dictatorship to the General State Archives”
- DIDDA/TA/F.1/26399/12.11.2017 (ADA: 60XS465XTHPS-MF4) , “Safeguarding of archives of healthcare institutions”
Abolition of organizations and bodies of the public body (Law and Interpretive Circular)
Abolitions and Mergers of Public Sector Bodies
- Law 3895/2010 “Abolition and merger of services, organizations and bodies of the public sector” (Government Gazette 206/A’/08.12.2010)
- Circular of the Ministry of the Interior, Decentralization and E-Government on the subject: “Abolition and merger of services, organizations and bodies of the public sector” (Law 3895/2010, Government Gazette 206/A’), (Ref. No.: DOA/F.10/26915/22.12.2010, ADA: 4II6K–6)
- Law 4250/2014 (Government Gazette 74/A’/26.03.2014) refers to abolitions and mergers of Legal Entities and Services of the Public Sector
- Government Gazette 606/B’/05.03.2012 Decision on the abolition of the Public Material Management Organization (ODDY S.A.)
School Archives
School Archives – Circulars and Legal Opinions
- Circular of the Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs on the subject: “School Archives” (Ref. No.: 52652/IZ/83/F.DIOIK/02.08.2007)
- Circular of the Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs on the subject: “School Archives” (Ref. No.: 130752/IZ/146/F.DIOIK/10.10.2008)
- Legal Opinion of the Legal Council of the State on the subject: “Transmission of Legal Council of the State Opinion No. 489/2012” (Ref. No.: 53171/G3/46/F.DIOIK/01.04.2015)
Selection and clearing of public services records
The Process of Records Disposal and Selection
Process Stages
- Identification of records
- Invitation of the GSA
- On-site inspection
- Selection & disposal of archival material
- Record delivery – receipt protocol
- Authorization for destruction of archival material
Categories of Records
- Records of permanent administrative value
- Inactive
- Semi-active
- Active
Clearing the files
The Process from the Perspective of Public Services
The disposal of records constitutes one of the most important aspects of records management in Public Services.
The rational organization and management of public records contributes to:
- More effective and efficient functioning of the Administration
- Faster service to citizens
- Facilitating the work of employees through the easy retrieval of requested documents
- Ensuring protection against alteration or destruction of useful or confidential documents
- Saving storage space
- Better utilization of personnel
Highlights of the files
Identification and Survey of Records
The Directorate of Acquisition and Processing of Archives has as one of its operational objectives the identification and survey of the records of public sector services and the supervision of active records in order to prevent losses and destruction of public documents.
Identification of records refers to the research process through which basic information is collected about records that have not yet been transferred. This information concerns their quantity, format, type, location, physical condition, preservation and storage conditions, accumulation and use of records.
The purpose of this process is to plan the archival operations related to the management of the identified records, such as acquisition, disposal, microfilming and the provision of storage facilities.
The identification and location of records does not imply acquisition nor does it commit the producing body to transfer them to the GSA. However, it provides the possibility for the supervision of records produced by the public administration.
Effective Methods for the Identification of Records
- Appointment of liaison officers in accordance with Law 4610/2019. Liaison officers form a network of public administration employees that supports direct and two-way communication between the GSA and the public bodies producing records, contributing to the proper maintenance and supervision of records.
- Distribution of questionnaires to public bodies in order to ensure better supervision of records and prevent unjustified destruction. The collection of this information enables not only the identification of specific archival holdings but also the overall mapping of public sector records.
