Minister of Culture, Maggy Nagel, today presented the draft law on archiving, which lays down rules ensuring the adequate protection of public archives and includes provisions for safeguarding private archives of historical interest.
The draft bill was approved on 30 october 2015 by the Government Cabinet, with the Culture Minister today emphasising that the current legislation was extremely incomplete and required legislation in order to safeguard the collective memory of Luxembourg and future generations.
The draft law provides for the obligation of producers or holders of public archives to offer these to the National Archives, which has a duty to monitor the management and conservation of public records. The bill also provides for a Council of Archives and defines its missions therein.
Producers or holders of public records determine within individuals sorting tables archives deemed worthy of long-term conservation. These sorting tables will be prepared in collaboration with the National Archives in a seven year period. They outline the type of document involved, its administrative usefulness and subsequently whether it will be archived or destroyed. Archives are comunicated after the expiry of their period of administrative utility. In some cases, a special period of 50 years will be granted, for example in the case of national defense cases before Luxembourg courts.
The Chamber of Deputies, the State Council and the courts will manage their own public record, but will have the opportunity to keep and manage the National Archives. Municipalities will maintain their own archives and will be able to reach cooperation agreements concerning archives with the State.
Photo by MCULT (L-R: Bob Krieps; Maggy Nagel; Josée Kirps
