1.All ESDC training and education activities shall be open to participation by nationals of all Member States and acceding States. The organising and conducting institutes shall ensure that this principle applies without any exception.
2.The ESDC training and education activities shall also be open in principle to participation by nationals of countries that are candidates for accession to the Union and, as appropriate, of other third States and Organisations, in particular for those training and education activities referred to in Article 4(2)(d).
3.Participants shall be civilian/diplomatic/police/military personnel dealing with aspects in the fields of CSDP and CFSP and experts to be deployed in CSDP missions or operations.
Representatives of, inter alia, international organisations, non-governmental organisations, academic institutions and the media, as well as members of the business community, may be invited to participate in ESDC training and education activities.
4.A certificate signed by the HR shall be awarded to a participant who has completed an ESDC course. The modalities of the certificate shall be kept under review by the Steering Committee. The certificate shall be recognised by the Member States and by the Union institutions.
The ESDC shall cooperate with and draw on the expertise of international organisations and other relevant actors, such as national training and education institutes of third States, in particular but not limited to those referred to in Article 5(2).
The provisions set out in Decision 2013/488/EU(1) shall apply to the ESDC.
Council Decision 2013/488/EU of 23 September 2013 on the security rules for protecting EU classified information (OJ L 274, 15.10.2013, p. 1).