EUR-Lex Access to European Union law
This document is an excerpt from the EUR-Lex website
Council security rules for protecting classified information (EUCI)
SUMMARY OF:
Decision 2013/488/EU on security rules for protecting EU classified information
WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE DECISION?
It aims to establish a comprehensive security system for protecting classified information covering the Council of the EU, its General Secretariat (GSC) and the EU countries in order to support Council activities in all areas which require handling classified information.
KEY POINTS
Scope
Classified information
EUCI means any information or material designated by an EU security classification, which, if disclosed without authorisation, could affect the interests of the EU or of one or more EU countries.
There are 4 classification levels:
Top Secret: information and material the unauthorised disclosure of which could cause exceptionally grave prejudice to the essential interests of the EU or of one or more EU countries;
Secret: information and material the unauthorised disclosure of which could seriously harm the essential interests of the EU or of one or more EU countries;
EU Confidential: information and material the unauthorised disclosure of which could harm the essential interests of the EU or of one or more EU countries;
EU Restricted: information and material the unauthorised disclosure of which could be disadvantageous to the interests of the EU or of one or more EU countries.
Access to EUCI
Personal security measures are designed to ensure that access to EUCI is granted only those who have:
FROM WHEN DOES THE DECISION APPLY?
It has applied since 15 October 2013.
BACKGROUND
The European Commission and the European Parliament have also adopted rules governing treatment of EUCI:
MAIN DOCUMENT
Council Decision 2013/488/EU of 23 September 2013 on the security rules for protecting EU classified information (OJ L 274, 15.10.2013, pp. 1-50)
Successive amendments to Decision 2013/488/EU have been incorporated in the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.
RELATED DOCUMENTS
Commission Decision (EU, Euratom) 2015/444 of 13 March 2015 on the security rules for protecting EU classified information (OJ L 72, 17.3.2015, pp. 53-88)
Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament of 15 April 2013 concerning the rules governing the treatment of confidential information by the European Parliament (OJ C 96, 1.4.2014, pp. 1-51)
last update 23.11.2018