1.   In order to fulfil the objectives of strengthening the security of each of the Parties in all ways, this Agreement between Georgia and the European Union on security procedures for exchanging and protecting classified information (hereafter the ‘Agreement’) shall apply to classified information or material in any form either provided or exchanged between the Parties.

2.   Each Party shall protect classified information received from the other Party from loss or unauthorised disclosure in accordance with the terms set out herein and in accordance with the Parties' respective laws and regulations.

1.   The EU institutions and entities to which this Agreement applies shall be: the European Council, the Council of the European Union (hereafter ‘the Council’), the General Secretariat of the Council, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the European External Action Service (hereafter ‘the EEAS’) and the European Commission.

2.   Those EU institutions and entities may share classified information received under this Agreement with other EU institutions and entities, subject to the prior written consent of the providing party and subject to appropriate assurances that the receiving entity will protect the information adequately.

1.   Classified information shall be disclosed or released in accordance with the principle of originator consent.

2.   For release to recipients other than the Parties, a decision on disclosure or release of classified information will be made by the receiving Party on a case-by-case basis subject to the prior written consent of the providing Party and in accordance with the principle of originator consent.

3.   No generic release shall be possible unless procedures are agreed upon between the Parties regarding certain categories of information which are relevant to their specific requirements.

4.   Nothing in this Agreement shall be regarded as a basis for mandatory release of classified information between the Parties.

5.   Classified information subject to this Agreement may be provided to a contractor or prospective contractor only with the prior written consent of the providing Party. Prior to such release, the receiving Party shall ensure that the contractor or prospective contractor and the contractor's facility are able to protect the information and have an appropriate security clearance.

1.   The Parties shall ensure that all persons who, in the conduct of their official duties require access, or whose duties or functions may afford them access, to information classified

2.   Security clearance procedures shall be designed to determine whether an individual, taking into account his or her loyalty, trustworthiness and reliability, may have access to such classified information.

1.   For the purposes of this Agreement:

2.   Exceptionally, correspondence from one Party which is accessible only to specific competent officials, organs or services of that Party may, for operational reasons, be addressed and be accessible only to specific competent officials, organs or services of the other Party specifically designated as recipients, taking into account their competencies and according to the need-to-know principle. As far as the EU is concerned, such correspondence shall be transmitted through the Chief Registry Officer of the Council, the Chief Registry Officer of the EEAS, or the Chief Registry Officer of the European Commission, as appropriate. As far as Georgia is concerned, such correspondence shall be transmitted through the State Security Service of Georgia via the Mission of Georgia to the European Union.

1.   In order to implement this Agreement, security arrangements shall be established between the competent security authorities designated below, each acting under the direction and on behalf of its organisational superiors, in order to lay down the standards for the reciprocal protection of classified information under this Agreement:

2.   Before classified information is provided or exchanged between the Parties under this Agreement, the competent security authorities referred to in paragraph 1 shall agree that the receiving Party is able to protect the information in a way consistent with the security arrangements to be established pursuant to that paragraph.

1.   The competent authority of either of the Parties referred to in Article 12 shall immediately inform the competent authority of the other Party of any proven or suspected cases of unauthorised disclosure or loss of classified information provided by that Party. The competent authority shall conduct an investigation, with assistance from the other Party if required, and shall report the results to the other Party.

2.   The authorities referred to in Article 12 shall establish procedures to be followed in such cases.

1.   This Agreement shall enter into force on the first day of the first month following the day of the receipt through diplomatic channels of the last written notification on the completion by the Parties of the internal procedures necessary for the entry into force of this Agreement.

2.   Each Party shall notify the other Party of any changes in its laws and regulations that could affect the protection of classified information referred to in this Agreement.

3.   Each Party shall notify the other Party through diplomatic channels of any changes with regard to competent authorities and/or officials envisaged in Articles 10, 11 and 12.

4.   Amendments and additions may be made to this Agreement upon mutual agreement of the Parties, which will be formed as separate documents. Amendments and additions formulated thereby shall constitute an integral part of this Agreement and shall enter into force in accordance with paragraph 1.