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DECISION OF THE HIGH REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UNION FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND SECURITY POLICY
of 17 February 2026
on replacing Appendix B to Decision ADMIN(2023) 18 of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 19 June 2023 on the security rules for the European External Action Service
ADMIN/2026/5
(C/2026/1696)
THE HIGH REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UNION FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND SECURITY POLICY,
Having regard to the Council Decision 2010/427/EU of 26 July 2010 establishing the organisation and functioning of the European External Action Service ( 1 ) , and in particular Article 10(1) thereof,
Whereas:
(1)
Appendix B to the Decision of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 19 June 2023 on the security rules for the European External Action Service ( 2 ) (Decision ADMIN(2023)18, hereinafter the ‘EEAS Security Rules’) contains a table setting out the equivalence of security classifications of the EU, Euratom and EU Member States.
(2)
On 14 April 2025, Belgium notified the General Secretariat of the Council of changes to its security classifications. Those changes introduce a fourth Belgian classification level ‘RESTREINT (Loi 11.12.1998) – BEPERKT (Wet 11.12.1998)’.
(3)
On 18 July 2025, the Council adopted Council Decision (EU) 2025/1540 of 18 July 2025 amending Decision 2013/488/EU on the security rules for protecting EU classified information ( 3 ) by which the Council replaced, among others, the table of equivalence of security classifications annexed to Council Decision 2013/488/EU ( 4 ) .
(4)
In order to take account of the changes in the Belgian rules on security classifications and to ensure coherence of the EEAS Security Rules with the security classifications applied by the Council, Appendix B to the EEAS Security Rules should be replaced by a new text.
(5)
Pursuant to Article 15(4)(a) of the EEAS Security Rules, the EEAS Security Committee has been consulted on 16 January 2026,
HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:
Sole Article
Appendix B to the Decision ADMIN(2023) 18 of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 19 June 2023 on the security rules for the European External Action Service is replaced by the text appearing in Annex I to this Decision.
The Decision shall enter into force on the day following its signature.
Done at Brussels, 17 February 2026.
Kaja KALLAS
High Representative of the Union
for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
( 1 )
OJ L 201, 3.8.2010, p. 30 , ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2010/427/oj .
( 2 )
OJ C 263, 26.7.2023, p. 16 .
( 3 )
OJ L, 2025/1540, 25.7.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2025/1540/oj .
( 4 ) Council Decision 2013/488/EU of 23 September 2013 on the security rules for protecting EU classified information ( OJ L 274, 15.10.2013, p. 1 , ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2013/488/oj ).
ANNEX I
‘Appendix B
Equivalence of security classification
EU
TRES SECRET UE/EU TOP SECRET
SECRET UE/EU SECRET
CONFIDENTIEL UE/EU CONFIDENTIAL
RESTREINT UE/EU RESTRICTED
Euratom
EURA TOP SECRET
EURA SECRET
EURA CONFIDENTIAL
EURA RESTRICTED
Belgium
Très Secret (Loi 11.12.1998)
Zeer Geheim (Wet 11.12.1998)
Secret (Loi 11.12.1998)
Geheim (Wet 11.12.1998)
Confidentiel (Loi 11.12.1998)
Vertrouwelijk (Wet 11.12.1998)
RESTREINT (Loi 11.12.1998)
BEPERKT (Wet 11.12.1998)
Bulgaria
Cтpoгo ceкретно
Ceкретно
Поверително
За служебно ползване
Czech Republic
Přísně tajné
Tajné
Důvěrné
Vyhrazené
Denmark
YDERST HEMMELIGT
HEMMELIGT
FORTROLIGT
TIL TJENESTEBRUG
Germany
STRENG GEHEIM
GEHEIM
VS ( 1 ) – VERTRAULICH
VS – NUR FÜR DEN DIENSTGEBRAUCH
Estonia
Täiesti salajane
Salajane
Konfidentsiaalne
Piiratud
Ireland
Top Secret
Secret
Confidential
Restricted
Greece
Άκρως Απόρρητο
Abr: ΑΑΠ
Απόρρητο
Abr: (ΑΠ)
Εμπιστευτικό
Αbr: (ΕΜ)
Περιορισμένης Χρήσης
Abr: (ΠΧ)
Spain
SECRETO
RESERVADO
CONFIDENCIAL
DIFUSIÓN LIMITADA
France
TRÈS SECRET
TRÈS SECRET DÉFENSE ( 2 )
SECRET
SECRET DÉFENSE ( 2 )
CONFIDENTIEL DÉFENSE ( 2 )
( 3 )
Nota ( 4 ) below
Croatia
VRLO TAJNO
TAJNO
POVJERLJIVO
OGRANIČENO
Italy
Segretissimo
Segreto
Riservatissimo
Riservato
Cyprus
Άκρως Απόρρητο
Αbr: (AΑΠ)
Απόρρητο
Αbr: (ΑΠ)
Εμπιστευτικό
Αbr: (ΕΜ)
Περιορισμένης Χρήσης
Αbr: (ΠΧ)
Latvia
Sevišķi slepeni
Slepeni
Konfidenciāli
Dienesta vajadzībām
Lithuania
Visiškai slaptai
Slaptai
Konfidencialiai
Riboto naudojimo
Luxembourg
Très Secret Lux
Secret Lux
Confidentiel Lux
Restreint Lux
Hungary
“Szigorúan titkos!”
“Titkos!”
“Bizalmas!”
“Korlátozott terjesztésű!”
Malta
L-Ogħla Segretezza
Top Secret
Sigriet
Secret
Kunfidenzjali
Confidential
Ristrett
Restricted ( 5 )
Netherlands
Stg. ZEER GEHEIM
Stg. GEHEIM
Stg. CONFIDENTIEEL
Dep. VERTROUWELIJK
Austria
Streng Geheim
Geheim
Vertraulich
Eingeschränkt
Poland
Ściśle Tajne
Tajne
Poufne
Zastrzeżone
Portugal
Muito Secreto
Secreto
Confidencial
Reservado
Romania
Strict secret de importanță deosebită
Strict secret
Secret
Secret de serviciu
Slovenia
STROGO TAJNO
TAJNO
ZAUPNO
INTERNO
Slovakia
Prísne tajné
Tajné
Dôverné
Vyhradené
Finland
ERITTÄIN SALAINEN
YTTERST HEMLIG
SALAINEN
HEMLIG
LUOTTAMUKSELLINEN
KONFIDENTIELL
KÄYTTÖ RAJOITETTU
BEGRÄNSAD TILLGÅNG
Sweden
Kvaliciferat hemlig
Hemlig
Konfidentiell
Begränsat hemlig
’
( 1 ) Germany: VS = Verschlusssache.
( 2 ) Information generated by France before 1 July 2021 and classified “TRÈS SECRET DÉFENSE”, “SECRET DÉFENSE” and “CONFIDENTIEL DÉFENSE” continue to be handled and protected at the equivalent level of “TRÈS SECRET UE/EU TOP SECRET”, “SECRET UE/EU SECRET” and “CONFIDENTIEL UE/EU CONFIDENTIAL” respectively.
( 3 ) France handles and protects “CONFIDENTIEL UE/EU CONFIDENTIAL” information in accordance with the French security measures for protecting “SECRET” information.
( 4 ) France does not use the classification “RESTREINT” in its national system. France handles and protects “RESTREINT UE/EU RESTRICTED” information in a manner no less stringent than the standards and procedures described in the security rules of the Council of the European Union.
( 5 ) The Maltese and English markings for Malta can be used interchangeably.
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2026/1696/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)