DOCUMENT PARTIALLY ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC (23.09.2016)
GENERAL SECRETARIAT OF THE COUNCIL
STAFF NOTE
Department responsible:
54/13
DG F 2B - Records Management and
Central Archives (Archives)
23/7/2013
Tel. 7647
Subject: Document transmission to the Records Management Unit and Central Archives and
file disposal
This Staff Note sets out guidelines for the sound management of all the Council's archive
documents.
It cancels and replaces Staff Note 187/08 of 21 November 2008.
It lays down the arrangements:
1.
for transmitting documents to the Archives
2.
for subsequent transfer to the Archives
3.
for disposing of files
1.
Arrangements for transmitting documents to the Archives
The following are considered archive documents and must therefore be sent to the Archives:
ST, CM and DS documents, miscellaneous notes and all kinds of correspondence, whatever
their form or storage medium, produced or received by the Council or the European Council,
one of its representatives or a member of its staff in the performance of their duties and
relating to the activities of the European Union.
1.1. ST and CM documents
These documents are sent to the Archives by DG A's Document Management/Distribution
Unit.
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1.2. Mail
• Outgoing mail: a copy of each document is sent to the Archives.
• Incoming mail: DG A's Document Management Unit/Registry sends the originals and their
annexes to the Archives for filing as soon as they have been registered, and provides the
relevant departments with photocopies.
The originals sent directly to a department or official must be forwarded by the main
recipient to the Registry for registration.
1.3. Classified documents and letters
Classified documents and letters (
Très Secret,
Secret,
Confidentiel and
Restreint) are not sent
to the Archives. They are handled in accordance with the Council's security rules and are
therefore sent to the Classified Information Office (BIC).
Under an agreed procedure, the BIC keeps the Archives regularly informed of the existence of
restricted documents.
2.
Arrangements for subsequent transfer to the Archives
Work files containing copies of documents held by the DG for work purposes and ephemeral
or internal documents may be transferred to the Archives subsequently, but no later than three
years after the concerned file has been closed and in accordance with the specific procedure.
(see Annex I)
Electronic documents may also be transferred to the Archives. More information on the
specific procedures can be obtained from the contact persons mentioned in point 2 of Annex I.
3.
Arrangements for disposing of files
Where a department wishes to dispose of documents, a distinction is made between two types
of file or document:
• files relating to the department's specific activities
• documents not relating to the department's specific activities
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3.1. Files relating to the department's specific activities
For all files relating to a department's specific activities, a check must be made to ensure
that the above rules have been complied with and that the documents considered as
archive documents (see point 1, first paragraph) are actually in the Archives. If this is
the case, and if the department wishes to dispose of archive material, then the following
arrangements apply:
–
any disposal of archives, whatever their date, form or medium, must be notified to
Central Archives for authorisation, using a disposal form;
–
the disposal form (see Annex II) must be sent to Central Archives after being
signed by the head of the department which produced the documents;
–
the Archives will examine the form and, if necessary, the documents in question.
If Central Archives accept the request, the form will be returned to the department
bearing a disposal stamp. The stamp will constitute an authorisation to destroy the
documents. The documents concerned must be destroyed; they may not be
disposed of in any other manner. No document may be destroyed by anyone
before the stamp has been issued;
–
should the disposal request be rejected in full or in part, the documents which are
not to be destroyed must be transferred to the Central Archives.
3.2. Documents not relating to the department's specific duties
Such documents concern the department's
organisation and
internal procedures (staff
management, orders for equipment and supplies, incoming/outgoing internal mail
collection, etc.), or contain information which is broadly disseminated throughout the
GSC (staff notes).
These documents may be
disposed of without prior request for the Central Archives
stamp.
These guidelines will be reviewed once the filing plan project has been established and
implemented.
Any queries regarding the implementation of this Staff Note may be sent to
DELETED, or
DELETED.
Reijo Kemppinen
Annexes
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Annex I
Procedure for subsequent transfer of working files
to the Central Archives
1.
Procedure before transfer
Remove classified or private documents and documents already contained in the
archives (registered letters, official documents: ST, CM, etc.). In the case of classified
material, contact the BIC.
Number the binders/boxes or structure the electronic indexes.
Provide an inventory of the contents of each binder/box (as a minimum: the subject and
year of each binder/box). For the transfer of electronic files, specify the volume of the
electronic content.
2.
Notice of the transfer
Notice of the transfer should be given to:
DG
Archives contact
tel.
DG A, DG B, DG D
DELETED
DG E, DG C, DG G
DELETED
DG F, Private Office, Legal Service, European Council
DELETED
DG G
DELETED
3.
Completion and signing of the transfer form
There are two types of transfer: assignment and deposit (see form).
4.
Sending of the material
Send the material, the inventory and the form to the address given by your Central Archives
contact.
5.
Proof of transfer
A copy of the transfer form signed by your Archives contact will be provided as proof of the
transfer.
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Central Archives
TRANSFER FORM
______________________________________________________________________________
To be completed by the transferring department
Directorate: …………………………………………………………………………………….……
Department: …………………………………………………………………………………..……..
Name of the staff member responsible for the transfer: ………………………………………….…
Address/tel.: …………………………………………………………………………………………
Description of the transfer (add a separate page if necessary):
……………………………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Type of transfer (assignment*, deposit**):………………………………………………………….
Total number of binders/boxes:……………………………………………………………………...
Date and signature of the Head of Department:……………………………………………………..
_____________________________________________________________________________
To be completed by the Archives
Delivery date: …………………………………… Shelf metres:…………………………………....
Location: ……………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Comments: …………………………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Date and signature for the Archives: …………………………………………………………………
*
In the case of assignment, the Central Archives department points out that:
-
it has the right to decide whether to keep or destroy the material wholly or in part;
-
the transferred items may be made publicly available if they come within the rules on public access to
the documents of the institutions.
**
In the case of deposit, the Central Archives department points out that:
-
this being simply a matter of storage, it does not assume any responsibility as regards the keeping or
management of the items. Consequently, no searches may be demanded of it;
-
it reserves the right to return the items to the department of origin if it no longer has room for them;
-
access to the transferred items will be granted only in the presence of a person from Central Archives;
-
in the event of a removal, the items will have to be moved by the department of origin itself.
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Annex II
Central Archives
DOCUMENT DISPOSAL FORM
Requesting department
Directorate: ..........................................................................................................................................................................
Department: ..........................................................................................................................................................................
Name of the staff member responsible for disposal: ............................................................................................................
Volume for which disposal is requested (shelf metres): .......................................................................................................
Number of pages in this form (including this page): ............................................................................................................
Date of dispatch of the request to the Archives: ...................................................................................................................
Signature of the Head of Department: ..................................................................................................................................
Archives
Disposal stamp (dated): ........................................................................................................................................................
Signature of the Head of the Archives: .................................................................................................................................
This form must be sent to the Archives contact for your department:
DG
Archives contact
Tel.
DG A, DG B, DG D
DELETED
DG E, DG C, DG G
DELETED
DG F, Private Office, Legal Service, European Council
DELETED
DG G
DELETED
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ARCHIVE DOCUMENT DISPOSAL FORM
Department:
To be completed by the department
Description
Start/end dates
Shelf metres
Duration of administrative
Secure disposal
Comments
(document purpose and
(oldest and most recent year
(sm) or
usefulness (DAU)
(yes/no)
nature)
of documents)
Megabyte (MB)
(period in years during which the
documents had to be kept in the
department for administrative usefulness
reasons (relating to the department or of a
legal nature))
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