Meetings between DG Climate Action and lobbyists

Acción por el Clima no tenía la información solicitada.

Dear Sir/Madam,
under the right of access to documents in the EU treaties, as developed in Regulation 1049/2001, we are requesting the following documents:

- a list of meetings of DG Climate Action officials/representatives (excluding the European Commissioner, his Cabinet and the Director-General) and interest representatives (including companies, consultancies and law firms, trade/business/professional associations, think tanks and NGOs) between December 1st 2014 and today.

We would like the list to include the following information:
the date of the meeting,
which companies/organisations were present at the meeting,
names of the lobbyist(s) that were present,
the sector they represented (business, NGOs, academia, think tanks),
the name and job title of the European Commission officials that were present (e.g. head of unit, etc.),
the issues discussed, if possible in sufficient detail so as to identify the dossiers or policy initiatives covered.

We are requesting a list in order to avoid submitting a much broader request for minutes and other reports of meetings with interest representatives, which could require a large amount of effort from the Commission's side. In our view there is clearly a high public interest in transparency over the Commission's interactions with outside interest groups.

Thank you in advance.

Yours sincerely,

Nicola Freeman, on behalf of the Alliance for Lobbying Transparency and Ethics Regulation (ALTER-EU)
Fabian Flues (Friends of the Earth Europe)

Dear Climate Action,

Further to my request, please note that my postal address is:

Mundo B, Rue d'Edimbourg 26, B-1050 Brussels

Yours faithfully,

Nicola Freeman

Acción por el Clima

1 Adjuntos

Dear Ms. Freeman,

 

Thank you for your email of 16 July 2015 in which you introduced a request
for access to documents concerning a list of meetings of DG Climate Action
officials/representatives (excluding the European Commissioner, his
Cabinet and the Director-General) and interest representatives (including
companies, consultancies and law firms, trade/business/professional
associations, think tanks and NGOs) between December 1st 2014 and today.

 

This is a very broadly formulated request. The description given in your
letter does not enable us to identify concrete documents which would
correspond to your request. Consequently, we are unable to handle your
request in its present form.

 

We therefore invite you, pursuant to Article 6(2) of Regulation (EC) No
1049/2001 regarding public access to documents, to make a more targeted
request and provide us with more detailed information on the documents
which you seek to obtain, such as the more specific subject /scope of the
request (such as relevant policy topic, relevant number of the legislative
proposal etc.) as well as other references, dates and more specific
period during which the document would have been produced, names of DG
CLIMA officials, names of the companies, law firms, lobby consultancies,
industry or civil society organizations and provide us with any other
relevant information which would enable us to identify the documents
falling under your request. 

 

The 15 working days' time limit for handling your application will start
running when we receive the requested clarification.

 

 

Thank you in advance for your understanding.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

Veronika Hulkova

 

 

European Commission
Directorate-General for Climate Action
Access to Documents Team

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This is a request for access to information under Article 15 of the TFEU
and, where applicable, Regulation 1049/2001 which has been sent via the
AsktheEU.org website.

 

Please kindly use this email address for all replies to this request:
[1][FOI #2148 email]

 

If [2][DG CLIMA request email] is the wrong address for
information requests to Climate Action, please tell the AsktheEU.org team
on email [3][email address]

 

This message and all replies from Climate Action will be published on the
AsktheEU.org website. For more information see our dedicated page for EU
public officials at [4]http://www.asktheeu.org/en/help/officers

 

 

 

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References

Visible links
1. mailto:[FOI #2148 email]
2. mailto:[DG CLIMA request email]
3. mailto:[AsktheEU.org contact email]
4. http://www.asktheeu.org/en/help/officers

Dear Ms Hulkova,
we would like to specify that the list of meetings should include all meetings between external stakeholders and Commission staff employed as administrators (AD 5 to 15), excluding translators, interpreters and the Director-General.
As mentioned before, we are requesting a list of stakeholder meetings to avoid submitting a burdensome request that would include minutes or meeting notes of all meetings with external stakeholders.
We hope this clarification addresses your questions. Should you have further questions, please get in touch with us.

Yours faithfully,

Nicola Freeman, on behalf of the Alliance for Lobbying Transparency and Ethics Regulation (ALTER-EU) and
Fabian Flues (Friends of the Earth Europe)

Acción por el Clima

1 Adjuntos

Dear Mr. Freeman,

 

 

Thank you for your reply to our email of 16 July 2015 in which we
explained to you that without necessary clarification pursuant to Article
6(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 regarding public access to documents
by which you would make a more targeted request and provide us with more
detailed information on the documents which you seek to obtain, we are
unable to handle your request.

 

In your email you do not mention the necessary elements such as more
specific subject /scope of the request (such as relevant policy topic,
relevant number of the legislative proposal etc.) as well as other
references, dates and more specific period during which the document
would have been produced, names of DG CLIMA officials, names of the
companies, law firms, lobby consultancies, industry or civil society
organizations to which you are referring to. Please note that there is no
tool for registering all the meetings between all DG CLIMA officials and
the stakeholders.  

You may find information on such meetings of the Director General on the
following website:

 

[1]http://ec.europa.eu/transparencyinitiati...

 

We would therefore propose to narrow down the scope of your request within
the criteria specified above.

If you need assistance in clarifying or specifying your application, you
can contact us on the email above [2][email address].

 

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Veronika Hulkova

European Commission
Directorate-General for Climate Action
Access to Documents Team

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References

 

Visible links

1. [4]mailto:[FOI #2148 email]

2. [5]mailto:[DG CLIMA request email]

3. [6]mailto:[AsktheEU.org contact email]

4. [7]http://www.asktheeu.org/en/help/officers

 

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Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[8][FOI #2148 email]

 

This message and all replies from Climate Action will be published on the
AsktheEU.org website. For more information see our dedicated page for EU
public officials at [9]http://www.asktheeu.org/en/help/officers

 

 

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References

Visible links
1. http://ec.europa.eu/transparencyinitiati...
2. mailto:[email address]
3. http://www.asktheeu.org/en/help/officers
4. mailto:[foi
5. mailto:[dg
6. mailto:[asktheeu.org
7. http://www.asktheeu.org/en/help/officers
8. mailto:[FOI #2148 email]
9. http://www.asktheeu.org/en/help/officers

Dear Ms Hulkova,
In order to facilitate access, we will reduce the scope of my request to only include meetings between organisations/self-employed individuals and Commission officials employed at grades AD 9 - AD 16 (including Deputy Directors-General, Principal Advisers, Directors, Heads of Unit and Deputy Heads of Unit, excluding translators and interpreters).

We would still like to request a list of all the meetings since 1 December 2014, with such officials regardless of the topic area or legislative file covered, that contains the following information: which companies/organisations were present at the meeting, names of the lobbyist(s) that were present, the sector they represented (business, NGOs, academia, think tanks), the name and job title of the European Commission officials that were present (e.g. head of unit, etc.), the issues discussed, if possible in sufficient detail so as to identify the dossiers or policy initiatives covered.

The reason we ask this is because the European Commission already does this as part of "Commission Decision C(2014) 9048 on the publication of information on meetings held between Directors-General of the Commission and organisations or self-employed individuals", whereby the Commission now publishes lists including all meetings regardless of the topic area or legislative file.

In the Decision, it is affirmed that "[t]he Commission is committed to enhance transparency on contacts between its staff and organisations or self-employed individuals." We are therefore asking in the spirit of this decision for a list of meetings with officials grade AD 9 - AD 16.

Yours faithfully,

Nicola Freeman, ALTER-EU
Fabian Flues, Friends of the Earth Europe

Acción por el Clima

1 Adjuntos

Dear Ms. Freeman,

 

Thank you for your e-mail dated 7^th August 2015. We hereby acknowledge
receipt of your application for access to documents, which was registered
on 11^th August 2015 under reference number GestDem 2015/4342.

 

In accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 regarding public access to
European Parliament, Council and Commission documents, your application
will be handled within 15 working days. The time limit will expire on 1^st
September 2015. In case this time limit needs to be extended, you will be
informed in due course.

 

You have lodged your application via the AsktheEU.org website. Please note
that this is a private website which has no link with any institution of
the European Union. Therefore the European Commission cannot be held
accountable for any technical issues or problems linked to the use of this
system.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

Mathilde CREPY
Access to document team

 

[1]cid:image001.gif@01CF3250.5B02B3F0
European Commission
DG Climate Action
Unit 003 – Administrative and Legal Support, Liaison with SRD

 

References

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Acción por el Clima

2 Adjuntos

Dear Mrs. Freeman,

I refer to your email dated 7^th August 2015 in which you requested access
to documents. Your application was registered on 11^th August 2015 under
the reference GestDem 2015/4342.
Please find attached the reply from DG Climate Action (ref.
Ares(2015)3603251). Please, note that this reply is been also sent via
registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt.

 

The recent Commission Decisions on the publication of information on
meetings held between Commission's staff and third parties only applies to
the Commissioners and the Directors General. You can find information
regarding both by clicking on these two links:          [1]meetings with
Commissioner                     [2]meetings with Director General

 

Kind regards,

 

Mathilde CREPY
Access to document team

 

[3]cid:image001.gif@01CF3250.5B02B3F0
European Commission
DG Climate Action
Unit 003 – Administrative and Legal Support, Liaison with SRD

 

References

Visible links
1. http://ec.europa.eu/commission/2014-2019...
2. http://ec.europa.eu/transparencyinitiati...

Dear Sir/Madam,

This is a confirmatory application to challenge the response to my request (GestDem 2015/4342) received on 1 September 2015 by email, on a list of meetings since 1 December 2014 between organisations/self-employed individuals and DG CLIMA officials employed at grades AD 9 - AD 16 (including Deputy Directors-General, Principal Advisers, Directors, Heads of Unit and Deputy Heads of Unit, excluding translators and interpreters).

I would like to appeal your decision that DG CLIMA does not hold a document or documents containing this information.

Public access to the document(s) requested should be made possible following the provisions within the EU Treaties and particularly Article 15 of TFEU stating that “EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies shall conduct their work as openly as possible”, in order to promote good governance and ensure participation of civil society.

This is further developed by Regulation 1049/2001 in order to “bring about greater openness in the work of the institutions” as well as “promote good administrative practice on access to documents.”

To the extent therefore, that a narrow interpretation of the request does not uncover a specific document containing the information requested, the institution should apply a wider interpretation in order to find out if the information is available through disclosure of multiple documents, in order to satisfy its obligations to conduct its work as openly as possible. This appears not to have been done by DG CLIMA.

It is noted also as part of this confirmatory application, that a request for the same information was sent to DG FISMA, which has disclosed a document containing a list of meetings (with in fact, a wider scope than that requested to DG CLIMA), available here:
http://www.asktheeu.org/en/request/2149/...
It therefore appears unlikely that DG CLIMA would not be able to process the same request and provide access to a document or documents containing the information requested, in particular as the request has a narrower scope than the one sent to DG FISMA.

DG CLIMA should reverse its decision, and the Directorate General should look into providing the information requested, if not contained in one document, then by whatever means possible in order to ensure the widest possible access.

I look forward to your decision following this confirmatory application.

Nicola Freeman

Dear Climate Action,

id you receive my confirmatory application sent on 18 September in reply to the decision made by DG CLIMA (received by email on 1 September)?

Yours faithfully,

Nicola Freeman

Acción por el Clima

Dear Mrs Freeman,

Affirmative

Yours sincerely,

Rudy Van Horenbeek
DG Climate Action - Head of administrative and legal coordination cell CLIMA.003
European Commission
tel      + 32 2 29 90 339
e-mail [email address]

"The views expressed are purely those of the writer and may not in any circumstances be regarded as stating an official position of the European Commission."

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Acción por el Clima

Dear Ms Freeman,

Thank you for your email dated 18/09/2015, registered on 30/09/2015. I hereby acknowledge receipt of your a confirmatory application for access to documents (ref.: Ares(2015)4023765 – GestDem 2015/4342).

In accordance with Regulation 1049/2001 regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents, you will receive a response to your request within 15 working days (21/10/2015).

In case this deadline needs to be extended, you will be informed in due course.

Best regards,

ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS TEAM

European Commission
Secretariat General
Unit SG.B4 – Transparency

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Acción por el Clima

2 Adjuntos

Dear Ms.  FREEMAN,

 

Please find attached a letter concerning your confirmatory application for
access to documents under Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 - GESTDEM
No 2015/4318, 4342and 5067

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

TEAM ACCESS DOCUMENTS
[1]cid:image001.gif@01D10B5D.0CD08030
European Commission
Secretariat General

Unit B4 - Transparency

 

References

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Acción por el Clima

2 Adjuntos

Dear Ms.  FREEMAN,

 

Please find attached a letter concerning your confirmatory application for
access to documents under Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 - GESTDEM
No 2015/4318, 4342and 5067

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

TEAM ACCESS DOCUMENTS
[1]cid:image001.gif@01D10B5D.0CD08030
European Commission
Secretariat General

Unit B4 - Transparency

 

References

Visible links