1.   For the purposes of this Agreement, ‘EU’ shall mean the Council of the European Union (hereafter: ‘Council’), the Secretary-General/High Representative and the General Secretariat of the Council and the European Commission.

2.   For the purposes of this Agreement, for the Russian Federation, the bodies authorised to implement this Agreement shall be federal governmental authorities of the Russian Federation.

1.   Classified information may be released, in accordance with paragraphs 2 to 5, by one Party, ‘the providing Party’, to the other Party, ‘the receiving Party’.

2.   Each Party shall decide on the release of classified information to the other Party on a case-by-case basis according to its own security interests and in accordance with its own laws or regulations. Nothing in this agreement shall be regarded as a basis for mandatory or generic release of classified information or certain categories of information between the Parties.

3.   Each Party shall, in accordance with its laws or regulations:

4.   Classified information shall be forwarded via diplomatic channels, by courier service or by any other means agreed between the competent authorities referred to in Article 10. For the purposes of this Agreement:

5.   The providing Party may, for operational reasons, address correspondence only to specific competent officials, organs or services of the receiving Party specifically designated as recipients, taking into account their competences and according to the need-to-know principle. Such correspondence shall be accessible only to the aforesaid officials, organs or services. As far as the European Union is concerned, this correspondence shall be transmitted through the Chief Registry Officer of the Council, or the Chief Registry Officer of the European Commission when such information is addressed to the European Commission.

1.   In order to establish an equivalent level of protection for classified information provided, exchanged or produced between the Russian Federation and the European Union in the course of their cooperation in accordance with their respective laws or regulations, the security classifications shall correspond as follows:

2.   The Russian Federation restriction marking ‘ДЛЯ СЛУЖЕБНОГО ПОЛЬЗОВАНИЯ’ shall correspond to the EU security classification RESTREINT UE.

3.   The cooperating entities of both Parties shall agree on the respective equivalent security classification to be given to any classified information produced in the course of their cooperation and on the declassification or downgrading of such information.

1.   Access to classified information will be granted only to persons for whom knowledge of the said information is necessary in order to perform their official duties, consistent with the purposes specified when the information is provided.

2.   All persons who, in the conduct of their official duties require access, or whose duties or functions may afford access, to classified information of the level CONFIDENTIEL UE/СЕКРЕТНО or higher provided, exchanged or produced between the Parties in the course of their cooperation shall be appropriately security-cleared before they are granted access to such information.

3.   Each Party shall ensure that security clearance procedures are conducted in accordance with its respective laws or regulations with a view to determining whether the circumstances and character of an individual are such that he or she may have access to classified information up to a specified level.

1.   In order to implement this Agreement and to ensure that the required conditions for protecting and safeguarding classified information have been established by the receiving Party, the authorities referred to in paragraphs 2 to 4 shall establish a technical arrangement as follows:

2.   For the Russian Federation, the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation shall coordinate the activities to implement this Agreement and be responsible for providing information on and confirming the technical measures for the protection and safeguarding of classified information provided to or exchanged with the Russian Federation under this Agreement.

3.   For the Council, the Security Office of the General Secretariat of the Council, under the direction and on behalf of the Secretary-General of the Council, acting in the name of the Council and under its authority, shall coordinate the activities to implement this Agreement and be responsible for providing information on and confirming the technical measures for the protection and safeguarding of classified information provided to or exchanged with the Council or the General Secretariat of the Council under this Agreement.

4.   For the European Commission, the European Commission Security Directorate, acting under the authority of the Member of the Commission responsible for security matters, shall coordinate the activities to implement this Agreement and be responsible for providing information on and confirming the technical measures for the protection of classified information provided or exchanged under this Agreement with the European Commission.

1.   The competent authority of either Party referred to in Article 10 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, and shall conduct an investigation and shall report the results of this investigation to the other Party.

2.   The competent authorities of the Parties referred to in Article 10 shall establish, on a case-by-case basis, a procedure with a view to determining, in accordance with the laws and regulations of either Party, proportionate corrective action or measures to be taken in the light of consequences or damage caused.

3.   Each Party shall take all appropriate measures, in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations, in cases where an individual is responsible for compromising classified information. Measures taken in this context may result in legal action, including possible criminal proceedings, against the individual concerned in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

1.   This Agreement shall enter into force on the first day of the month following notification by the Parties of the completion of the internal procedures necessary for its entry into force.

2.   Either Party may request consultations for consideration of possible amendments to this Agreement.

3.   Any amendment to this Agreement shall be made in writing only and by common agreement of the Parties. It shall enter into force under the conditions provided for in paragraph 1.