AGREEMENT  
between the European Union and the Principality of Liechtenstein on security procedures for 
exchanging classified information  
The EUROPEAN UNION, hereinafter referred to as ‘the EU’, and  
The PRINCIPALITY OF LIECHTENSTEIN, hereinafter referred to as ‘Liechtenstein’,  
Hereinafter referred to as ‘the Parties’,  
CONSIDERING THAT the Parties share the objectives to strengthen their own security in all ways and to provide their 
citizens with a high level of safety within an area of security,  
CONSIDERING THAT the Parties agree that consultations and cooperation should be developed between them on 
questions of common interest relating to security,  
CONSIDERING THAT, in this context, a permanent need therefore exists to exchange classified information between the 
Parties,  
RECOGNISING THAT full and effective consultation and cooperation may require access to classified information and 
material of the EU and of Liechtenstein, as well as the exchange of classified information and related material between the 
Parties,  
CONSCIOUS THAT such access to and exchange of classified information and related material require appropriate 
security measures,  
HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:  
Article 1  
In order to fulfil the objectives of strengthening the security of 
each of the Parties in all ways, this Agreement between the 
Principality of Liechtenstein and the European Union on 
security procedures for exchanging classified information (here ­
inafter referred to as the ‘Agreement’) shall apply to classified 
information or material in any form either provided or 
exchanged between the Parties.  
Article 2  
For the purposes of this Agreement, ‘classified information’ shall 
mean any information (i.e. knowledge that can be 
communicated in any form) or material determined by either 
of the Parties to require protection against unauthorised 
disclosure and which has been so designated by a security 
classification.  
Article 3  
The EU institutions and entities to which this Agreement shall 
apply are: the European Council, the Council of the European 
Union (hereinafter referred to as ‘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 (hereinafter: ‘the EEAS’) and the 
European Commission. For the purposes of this Agreement, 
these institutions and entities shall be referred to as ‘the EU’.  Article 4  
Each Party shall:  
(a) protect and safeguard classified information provided or 
exchanged by the other Party under this Agreement;  
(b) ensure that classified information provided or exchanged 
under this Agreement keeps the security classification 
marking given to it by the providing Party. The receiving 
Party shall protect and safeguard the classified information 
according to the provisions set out in its own security 
regulations for information or material holding an 
equivalent security classification, as specified in the 
security arrangements to be established pursuant to 
Article 11;  
(c) not use such classified information for purposes other than 
those established by the originator or those for which the 
information is provided or exchanged;  
(d) not disclose such classified information to third parties, or 
to any EU institution or entity not referred to in Article 3, 
without the prior written consent of the providing Party;  
(e) not allow access to classified information to individuals 
unless they have a need to know and have been appro ­
priately security-cleared.EN L 187/2 Official Journal of the European Union 21.7.2010
Article 5  
1. Classified information may be disclosed or released, in 
accordance with the principle of originator control, by one 
Party (the providing Party) to the other Party (the receiving 
Party).  
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 following the written consent of the 
providing Party, in accordance with the principle of originator 
control as defined in the latter’s security regulations.  
3. In implementing paragraphs 1 and 2, no generic release 
shall be possible unless procedures are established and agreed 
upon between the Parties regarding certain categories of 
information which are relevant to their operational 
requirements.  
Article 6  
Each of the Parties, and the institutions and entities referred to 
in Article 3 of this Agreement, shall ensure that they have a 
security system and security measures in place, based on the 
basic principles and minimum standards of security laid down 
in their respective laws or regulations, and reflected in the 
arrangements to be established pursuant to Article 11, in 
order to ensure that an equivalent level of protection is 
applied to classified information provided or exchanged under 
this Agreement.  
Article 7  
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 access, to classified information 
provided or exchanged under this Agreement are appropriately 
security-cleared before they are granted access to such 
information.  
2. The security clearance procedures shall be designed to 
determine whether an individual may, taking into account his 
or her loyalty, trustworthiness and reliability, have access to 
classified information.  
Article 8  
The Parties shall provide mutual assistance with regard to the 
security of classified information provided or exchanged under 
this Agreement and matters of common security interest. 
Reciprocal security consultations and inspections shall be 
conducted by the authorities referred to in Article 11 to 
assess the effectiveness of the security arrangements within 
their respective responsibility to be established pursuant to 
that Article.  Article 9  
1. For the purpose of this Agreement:  
(a) as regards the EU, all correspondence shall be sent through 
the Chief Registry Officer of the Council and shall be 
forwarded by him to the Member States and to the insti ­
tutions or entities referred to in Article 3, subject to 
paragraph 2;  
(b) as regards Liechtenstein, all correspondence shall be sent to 
the Chief Registry Officer of the Ministry of Interior of 
Liechtenstein and forwarded, where appropriate, via the 
Mission of Liechtenstein to the EU.  
2. Exceptionally, correspondence from one Party which is 
accessible to only 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 European Commission or the Chief Registry Officer of the 
EEAS, as appropriate. As far as Liechtenstein is concerned, such 
correspondence shall be transmitted through the Mission of 
Liechtenstein to the EU.  
Article 10  
The Minister of Interior of Liechtenstein, the Secretary-General 
of the Council and the Member of the European Commission 
responsible for security matters shall oversee the implemen ­
tation of this Agreement.  
Article 11  
1. In order to implement this Agreement, security 
arrangements shall be established between the three authorities 
designated in paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 in order to lay down the 
standards for the reciprocal security protection of classified 
information under this Agreement.  
2. The Ministry of Interior of Liechtenstein shall develop the 
security arrangements for the protection and safeguarding of 
classified information provided to Liechtenstein under this 
Agreement.  
3. 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 develop the security arrangements 
for the protection and safeguarding of classified information 
provided to the EU under this Agreement.EN 21.7.2010 Official Journal of the European Union L 187/3
4. The European Commission Security Directorate, acting 
under the authority of the Member of the Commission 
responsible for security matters, shall develop the security 
arrangements for the protection of classified information 
provided or exchanged under this Agreement within the 
European Commission and its premises.  
5. For the EU, the security arrangements mentioned in 
paragraph 1 shall be subject to approval by the Council 
Security Committee.  
Article 12  
The Authorities referred to in Article 11 shall establish 
procedures to be followed in the case of proven or suspected 
compromise of classified information provided or exchanged 
under this Agreement.  
Article 13  
Each Party shall bear its own costs incurred in implementing 
this Agreement.  
Article 14  
Before classified information is provided or exchanged between 
the Parties under this Agreement, the responsible security 
authorities referred to in Article 11 shall agree that the 
receiving Party is able to protect and safeguard the information 
in a way consistent with the arrangements to be established 
pursuant to that Article.  
Article 15  
This Agreement shall not prevent the Parties from concluding 
other agreements relating to the provision or exchange of clas ­
sified information provided that they do not conflict with the 
provisions of this Agreement.  
Article 16  
Any disputes between Liechtenstein and the EU arising out of 
the interpretation or application of this Agreement shall be 
addressed by negotiation between the Parties.  Article 17  
1. This Agreement shall enter into force on the first day of 
the first month after the Parties have notified each other of the 
completion of the internal procedures necessary for this 
purpose.  
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. This Agreement may be reviewed for consideration of 
possible amendments at the request of either Party.  
4. Any amendment to this Agreement shall be made in 
writing only and by common agreement of the Parties. It 
shall enter into force upon mutual notification as provided 
under paragraph 1.  
Article 18  
This Agreement may be denounced by one Party by written 
notice of denunciation given to the other Party. Such 
denunciation shall take effect six months after receipt of the 
notification by the other Party, but shall not affect obligations 
already entered into under this Agreement. In particular, all 
classified information provided or exchanged pursuant to this 
Agreement shall continue to be protected in accordance with 
the provisions set forth herein.  
In witness whereof the undersigned, respectively duly auth ­
orised, have signed this Agreement.  
Done at Brussels, on the sixth day of July in the year two 
thousand and ten in two copies, each in the English language.  
For the Principality of 
Liechtenstein
  For the European Union
EN L 187/4 Official Journal of the European Union 21.7.2010