Initial granting of a security clearance

The initial security clearance for access to information classified CONFIDENTIEL UE/EU CONFIDENTIAL and SECRET UE/EU SECRET shall be based on a security investigation covering at least the last 5 years, or from age 18 to the present, whichever is the shorter, which shall include the following: the completion of a national personnel security questionnaire for the level of EUCI to which the individual may require access; once completed, this questionnaire shall be forwarded to the competent security authority; identity check/citizenship/nationality status — the individual’s date and place of birth shall be verified and his identity checked. Citizenship status and/or nationality, past and present, of the individual shall be established; this shall include an assessment of any vulnerability to pressure from foreign sources, for example, due to former residence or past associations; and national and local records check — a check shall be made of national security and central criminal records, where the latter exist, and/or other comparable governmental and police records. The records of law enforcement agencies with legal jurisdiction where the individual has resided or been employed shall be checked. The initial security clearance for access to information classified TRÈS SECRET UE/EU TOP SECRET shall be based on a security investigation covering at least the last 10 years, or from age 18 to the present, whichever is the shorter. If interviews are conducted as stated in point (e), investigations shall cover at least the last 7 years, or from age 18 to the present, whichever is the shorter. In addition to the criteria indicated in paragraph 7 above, the following elements shall be investigated, to the extent possible under national laws and regulations, before granting a TRÈS SECRET UE/EU TOP SECRET PSC; they may also be investigated before granting a CONFIDENTIEL UE/EU CONFIDENTIAL or SECRET UE/EU SECRET PSC, where required by national laws and regulations: financial status — information shall be sought on the individual’s finances in order to assess any vulnerability to foreign or domestic pressure due to serious financial difficulties, or to discover any unexplained affluence; education — information shall be sought to verify the individual’s educational background at schools, universities and other education establishments attended since his 18th birthday, or during a period judged appropriate by the investigating authority; employment — information covering present and former employment shall be sought, reference being made to sources such as employment records, performance or efficiency reports and to employers or supervisors; military service — where applicable, the service of the individual in the armed forces and type of discharge shall be verified; and interviews — where provided for and admissible under national law, an interview or interviews shall be conducted with the individual. Interviews shall also be conducted with other individuals who are in a position to give an unbiased assessment of the individual’s background, activities, loyalty, trustworthiness and reliability. When it is national practice to ask the subject of the investigation for referrals, referees shall be interviewed unless there are good reasons for not doing so. Where necessary and in accordance with national laws and regulations, additional investigations may be conducted to develop all relevant information available on an individual and to substantiate or disprove adverse information.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-11-01 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.