Classified documents
Article 8
1. Where an application for access to a document concerns a document covered by Article 9 of the Regulation or another document classified in accordance with the rules of the institution concerned, which protect essential interests of the European Union or of one or more of its Member States, it shall be handled by officials entitled to acquaint themselves with the document. 2. Reasons shall be given on the basis of the exceptions listed in Article 4 of the Regulation for any decision refusing access to all or part of a classified document. If the access to the requested document cannot be refused on the basis of those exceptions, the official handling the application shall ensure that the document is de-classified before it is sent to the applicant.