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Whereas, in carrying out their task, the institutions of the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community have accumulated a vast collection of archives; whereas these archives constitute the property of these Communities, each of which has legal personality; Whereas it is standard practice, both in Member States and in international organizations, to make archives available to the public after a number of years has passed; whereas common rules concerning the opening to the public of the historical archives of the European Communities should be laid down; Whereas some of the documents and records emanating from institutions of the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community are held physically in the archives of the Member States; whereas the Member States apply different rules to determine when and on what conditions their archives may be made available to the public; whereas classified documents and records emanating from Community institutions should be prevented from being released to the public through national archives on terms less strict than those provided for in this Regulation;

Whereas the processing and critical analysis of Community archives is not only of value to historical research in general but can at the same time facilitate the activities of bodies involved in Community affairs and thereby contribute to the better attainment of all the Communities' objectives; Whereas the Treaties have not provided for any specific powers of action regarding the establishment of common rules for this subject; Whereas certain essential principles alone need to be determined, adoption of the requisite rules for the implementation, at internal level, of such principles being left to each Community institution, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: