Clearance

Facility Security Clearance Certificate (FSCC)

For companies that are going to carry out work for NATO, EU, or ESA for which they need physical access to these organisations and/or access to classified information, the international organisations often require a Facility Security Clearance (FSC). An FSC is a certificate which shows that a company complies with the requirements for information security on a certain level of classification. In order to apply for an FSC, a ‘proof of necessity’ is required. It should state the reason for the application and the security requirements with the required level of the clearance. The tender often includes the requirement that application for companies is only possible with a valid FSC for a certain level of classification with a set period of validity.

Personal Security Clearance Certificate (PSCC)

A PSCC is a clearance issued for persons who have access to internationally classified material of the EU, NATO, or ESA. A PSCC has to be requested by the organisation the person works for and it is only possible if the organisation in question has an FSCC. The National Security Authority (NSA) has mandated the Security Screening Unit (Unit Veiligheidsonderzoeken, UVO) to carry out the security screening required for a PSCC. These security screenings are not carried out in relation to fulfilling a position involving confidentiality (Article 3 of the Wvo) but on the basis of Article 13 of the Wvo. In general the UVO only issues clearances to persons with the Dutch nationality.