The National Security Authority (hereinafter referred as: NSA) is responsible for the enforcement of the regulations defined in the Security Regulations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (hereinafter referred as: NATO), of the Western European Union (hereinafter: WEU), of the Council and of the Commission of the European Union, and of the EURATOM (hereinafter together: EU). The NSA as an organizational unit is acting in the organizational structure of the Prime Minister’s Office, and is a body with original scope of duties and with official roles and responsibilities.

One of the basic preconditions of our NATO accession was to establish an organization with official functions on order to guarantees the protection of the NATO classified information by enforcing the Alliance's regulations in the practice of every public organizations and companies authorized to manage NATO classified information in Hungary. Act No. LXXXV/1998 on the National Security Authority (hereinafter referred as: NSA Act) fulfilled the above mentioned conditions and established the NSA on 8th January 1999. under the control of the minister without portfolio in charge of the civilian national security services.

In order to access the European Union it was required for Hungary to assign a national security authority which will provide the protection of classified information of the Council and of the Commission of the European Union and of the EURATOM (hereinafter together referred as: EU). Since the operate amendment of the NSA Act on 19th July 2003. the NSA at national level is enforcing the security principles and minimum standards of the EU Security Regulations concerned that shall be adopted by each member state, in order to protect the EU classified information adequately.

The NSA is not a national security service, it is a governmental organization, acting in the organizational structure of the Prime Minister’s Office. With its independent scope of duties and with official roles and responsibilities, through its activities the NSA guarantees the protection of the NATO and EU classified information. At national level it organizes and controls, towards the security organizations of the NATO and the EU guarantees the enforcement of the security principles.

The NSA according to the provisions of the respective Acts:

• Provides the maintenance of managing NATO, WEU and EU classified information (hereinafter together: classified information) prescribed in the Security Regulations, and the coordination between Security Regulations and measures taken to protect the classified information, also their enforcement, as well as performing the necessary controls;
  

• Guarantees the determination of the adequate security level by every person and company authorized to access and managing classified information;
  

• Issues security clearances about the persons and companies authorized to access and manage classified information and, in lack of the necessary security conditions consent denies to issue the security clearances or withdraws them;
  

• Exercises the right of assent regarding with the appointment of the security trustees of the organizations managing classified information;
  

• Licenses the establishment, and the liquidation of central or local registries, with concurrent reporting to the competent bodies of the NATO, WEU, EU about the measures taken;
  

• Provides the education of the security requirements that should be applied in order to protect classified information, furthermore organizes the necessary training courses;
  

• Ensures the development of adequate plans in order to protect the classified information in emergency situations, and on the basis of their content it ensures that they can not be accessed by unauthorized persons;
  

• Takes care of the conduction of the investigation in connection with the loss of classified information, or access by unauthorized person, together with breach of security, if necessary reports them to the competent national and foreign bodies;
  

• Reports about its activities if it is necessary to the competent bodies of the NATO, the WEU and the EU;
  

• Reports about its activities to the Government through the minister;
  

• Keeps contact with the security representatives operating at the Permanent Representation of Hungary to the NATO, the WEU and the EU, as well as with the competent bodies of the Member States of the NATO, the WEU and the EU;
  

The NSA performs the tasks prescribed for the industrial security authorities in the Security Regulations, among others:

• Transmits the security requirements and gives guidance for the companies, based on the industrial prescriptions of the NATO and EU, and helps implementing and interpreting them;
  

• Ensures the control over the fulfilment of the industrial requirements by the companies;
  

• Provides the definitions of the security requirements of the contracts related to the access to NATO and WEU classified information, assists the companies to develop their proper security systems;
  

• Provides the fulfilment of the NATO and WEU patent protecting rules;
  

• Provides the definition of the special security measures relating to NATO and WEU delivery;
  

• Provides the definition and execution of security procedures relating to the visit of companies managing NATO and WEU classified information, to this also issues the necessary licenses;
  

• Provides the definition of the tasks of the companies’ security trustees, also their education and regular training.

The NSA has extensive coordinative activities with the representatives of the national security structure, and with the competent bodies of the NATO and the WEU. The NSA takes part at every national and foreign forum, where the subjects – falls in the competency of the NSA – affects various aspects of the security of classified information. According to the area belonging to its scope of tasks and authority the NSA provides professional workshops with participation of the representatives of the competent bodies. It promotes on one hand the appropriate interpretation of the NATO, WEU and EU rules, on the other hand provides for the NSA practical empirical feedback that may be used for developing the official activities. Through establishing the legal frames, beyond the harmonization related to the implementation of the tasks, according to its legal competence the NSA makes efforts to spread and teach the rules. The NSA is representing Hungary in the security committees and working groups of the NATO and the EU. The president of the NSA reports on the activities to the National Security Committee and the Defence Committee of the Hungarian Parliament through the minister whenever it is necessary, but at least once a year.