Division (B) Identification of potential classified ERC Actions

A security-sensitive ERC action is an action that may need to handle classified information.

A ‘security considerations’ flag will be associated with a proposal:

• when the applicant declares a proposal as sensitive;

• if the expert evaluators or the ERCEA detect or suspect any of the following conditions:

  • Classified information is, or may be, used as background information,

  • Some foreground is planned to be classified,

Whenever a ‘security considerations’ flag is associated with a proposal, the circumstances of the planned work will be further scrutinised according to the procedure described in section C below.

Proposals, if so requested in the relevant Guide for Applicants, must identify – if needed – the background required for carrying the ERC action and the classified foreground that will be produced by the action. In the case of a proposal involving classified information (background and/or foreground), a ‘Security Aspect Letter’ (SAL)^f1 and its annexed ‘Security Classification Guide’ (SCG)^f2 must be part of the proposal.

The SCG will cover:

• The level of classification of background and foreground information,

• Which participant will have access to what information,

In addition, the following documents will be requested:

• A copy of the ‘Facility Security Clearances’ (FSC) (or the FSC requests). The validity of the FSC will be checked by the Commission Security Directorate through the appropriate formal channel with the ‘National Security Authorities’ (NSAs) involved,

• Formal written authorization by the relevant security authorities to use the classified background information.

The SAL and the SCG, accompanied by supporting documents, will also be examined in the scrutiny procedure described below.