privacy, or if the matter relates to the core area of executive self-responsibility, the
Federal Chancellery may refuse to approve the reports pursuant to paragraph 1. If the
Federal Chancellery exercises this right, it must give the Independent Oversight Council
its reasons for doing so.
(3) With due regard for confidentiality in an abstract sense, and after consulting the
Federal Chancellery, the Independent Oversight Council may report objections to the
German Bundestag. The Federal Chancellery may attach an opinion.
Section 56
Obligation of the Federal Intelligence Service to provide assistance
(1) The Federal Intelligence Service must assist the Independent Oversight Council with
its tasks.
(2) Within the limits of its oversight powers, the Independent Oversight Council may
request from the Federal Intelligence Service files or other documents that body
holds if there is a justified interest in doing so in the specific case in question; it may
also request the originals of those files or documents, and data stored in files.
(3) The Independent Oversight Council must at all times be granted:
1. access to all offices, and
2. access to all IT systems,
in so far as the Federal Intelligence Service has sole authority over those offices or
systems and in so far as this is necessary to exercise oversight.
(4) The Independent Oversight Council may interview employees of the Federal
Intelligence Service or obtain written information from them. Employees of the Federal
Intelligence Service are obliged to provide complete and accurate information.
(5) The Federal Intelligence Service must comply immediately with requests made by
the Independent Oversight Council pursuant to paragraph 4.
Section 57
Staff and facilities; human resources administration
(1) The Independent Oversight Council must be provided with the staff and facilities it
needs to perform its tasks.
(2) The Independent Oversight Council may transfer tasks relating to human resources
administration and human resources management to the Federal Chancellery
provided that this does not undermine the independence of the Independent
Oversight Council. Employees’ personal data may be forwarded to those bodies if
access to that data is necessary to perform the tasks transferred.
Section 58
Cooperation with the Parliamentary Oversight Panel, the G 10 Commission and the
Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information