Commission departments holding EUCI shall prepare plans based on local conditions for the safeguarding of EU classified material in a crisis including if necessary emergency destruction and evacuation plans. They shall promulgate instructions deemed necessary to prevent EUCI from falling into unauthorised hands.

The arrangements for the safeguarding and/or destruction of CONFIDENTIEL UE/EU CONFIDENTIAL and SECRET UE/EU SECRET material in a crisis shall under no circumstances adversely affect the safeguarding or destruction of TRES SECRET UE/EU TOP SECRET material, including the enciphering equipment, whose treatment shall take priority over all other tasks.

In the event of an emergency, if there is an imminent risk of unauthorised disclosure, EUCI shall be destroyed by the holder in such a way that it cannot be reconstructed in whole or in part. The originator and originating registry shall be informed of the emergency destruction of registered EUCI.

More detailed provisions for destruction of EUCI shall be laid down in implementing rules.