Use the information for no other than the agreed purposes;
Protect the information in accordance with the provisions laid down by the Commission.
The number of officials having access to EU classified information shall be strictly limited, based on the need-to-know principle, to those persons whose duties require such access;
All officials or nationals authorised to have access to the classified information released by the Commission shall have a national security clearance or authorisation for access, to an appropriate level equivalent to that of the EU, as defined in the comparative table;
These national security clearances or authorisations shall be forwarded to the [F1Director of the Commission Security Directorate] for information.
Textual Amendments
The practical procedures for the transmission of documents shall be decided by agreement. Pending the conclusion of such an agreement the provisions of Section 21 shall apply. The agreement shall in particular specify the registries to which EU classified information is to be forwarded and the precise addresses to which the documents shall be forwarded as well as the courier or mail services used for the transmission of the EU classified information.
The addressee State's NSA or its equivalent in the State receiving on behalf of its government the classified information forwarded by the Commission, or the security bureau of the recipient international organisation, shall open a special register to record EU classified information on its receipt. The Register shall contain columns indicating the date received, particulars of the document (date, reference and copy number), its classification, title, the addressee's name or title, the date of return of the receipt and the date of return of the document to EU or its destruction.
When the recipient returns a classified document to the Commission, it shall proceed as indicated in the paragraph ‘Transmission of documents’ above.
When the documents are not in use, they shall be stored in a security container that is approved for the storage of nationally-classified material of the same classification. The container shall bear no indication of its contents, which shall be accessible only to persons authorised to handle EU classified information. Where combination locks are used, the combination shall be known only to those officials in the State or organisation having authorised access to the EU classified information stored in the container and shall be changed every six months, or sooner on the transfer of an official, on withdrawal of the security clearance of one of the officials knowing the combination or if there is a risk of compromise.
EU classified documents shall be removed from the security container only by those officials cleared for access to the EU classified documents and having need-to-know. They shall remain responsible for the safe custody of those documents as long as they are in their possession and, in particular, for ensuring that no unauthorised person has access to the documents. They shall also ensure that the documents are stored in a security container when they have finished consulting them and outside working hours.
No photocopies shall be made of a document classified [F2CONFIDENTIEL UE] or above, nor extracts taken, without the authorisation of the [F1Commission Security Directorate].
The procedure for the rapid and total destruction of the documents in an emergency shall be defined and confirmed with the [F1Commission Security Directorate].
Textual Amendments
When not in use, security containers used for storage of EU classified documents shall be kept locked at all times;
When it is necessary for maintenance or cleaning staff to enter or work in a room which houses such security containers, they shall be escorted at all times by a member of the State's or organisation's security service or by the official more specifically responsible for supervising the security of the room;
Outside normal working hours (at night, at weekends and on public holidays) the security containers containing EU classified documents shall be protected either by a guard or by an automatic alarm system.
When a breach of security involving a EU classified document has taken place or is suspected, the following action shall be taken immediately:
Forward a report immediately to the [F1Commission Security Directorate] or the NSA of the Member State that has taken the initiative in forwarding documents (with a copy to the [F1Commission Security Directorate]);
Conduct an enquiry, on completion of which a full report shall be submitted to the security body (see (a) above). The requisite measures to remedy the situation shall then be adopted.
The [F1Commission Security Directorate] shall be permitted, by agreement with the States or international organisations concerned, to carry out an assessment of the effectiveness of measures for the protection of the EU classified information released.
Subject to the conclusion of a security agreement, as long as the State or international organisation holds EU classified information, it shall submit a yearly report, by a date specified when the authorisation to release the information is given, confirming that these security provisions have been complied with.