Article 13 Confidentiality

This article sets out the confidentiality obligations that bind all experts on the scientific panel.

It establishes that experts must not disclose confidential information acquired through their panel work, and layers this requirement across multiple legal frameworks — the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and two specific Commission Decisions governing the protection of classified and sensitive non-classified information.

The article connects directly to Article 10, which addresses independence and conflicts of interest, together forming the core conduct standards experts must uphold throughout their membership.

Importantly, non-compliance with these confidentiality obligations carries a direct enforcement consequence: the Commission is empowered to take all appropriate measures, up to and including dismissal from the panel.

Important points:

• Experts must not disclose any confidential information acquired through their work on the scientific panel and are required to sign a declaration of confidentiality to this effect.
• Confidentiality obligations extend beyond this regulation, requiring experts to comply with the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and relevant Commission Decisions on classified and sensitive non-classified information.
• The Commission may dismiss an expert from the scientific panel if these confidentiality obligations are not met.