appropriate to each grading.

2. Where the Commission considers that the disclosure of certain information is  liable to harm the defence interests of one or more Member States, it shall  provisionally apply to that information the security grading required in that case  by the security regulations.

It shall communicate such information forthwith to the Member States, which  shall provisionally ensure its security in the same manner.

Member States shall inform the Commission within three months whether they  wish to maintain the grading provisionally applied, substitute another or  declassify the information.

Upon the expiry of this period, the highest grading of those requested shall be  applied. The Commission shall notify the Member States accordingly.

At the request of the Commission or of a Member State, the Council may, acting  unanimously, at any time apply another grading or declassify the information. The Council shall obtain the opinion of the Commission before taking any  action on a request from a Member State.

3. The provisions of Articles 12 and 13 shall not apply to information subject to a  security grading.

Nevertheless, provided that the appropriate security measures are observed,

a. the information referred to in Articles 12 and 13 may be communicated by  the Commission:  
i. to a Joint Undertaking;  
ii. to a person or undertaking other than a Joint Undertaking, through the  Member State in whose territory that person or undertaking operates;
b. the information referred to in Article 13 may be communicated by a  Member State to a person or to an undertaking other than a Joint  Undertaking, operating in the territory of that State, provided that the  Commission is notified of this communication;
c. each Member State has, however, the right to require the Commission to  grant a licence under Article 12 to meet the needs of that State or those of  a person or undertaking operating in its territory.

Article 25

1. A Member State notifying the existence or communicating the contents of an  application for a patent or utility model relating to a subject specified in Article  16 ( 1 ) or ( 2 ) shall, where appropriate, draw attention to the need to apply a given  security grading for defence reasons, at the same time stating the probable duration  of such grading.

The Commission shall pass on to the other Member States all communications  received in accordance with the preceding subparagraph. The Commission and the  Member States shall take those measures which, under the security regulations,

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