Ref. Ares(2022)7623154 - 04/11/2022
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR INTERNAL MARKET, INDUSTRY, ENTREPRENEURSHIP
AND SMES
The Director-General
Brussels
GROW.B.1
Mr Moritz Neujeffski
Heidebrinker Straße 10
13357 Berlin
Germany
By e-email: ask+request-11815-
xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx
Subject:
Your application for access to documents – Ref. 2022/5110
Dear Mr Neujeffski,
We refer to your e-mail of 9 September 2022 and to your e-mail of 19 September 2022
clarifying your request and registered the same day, in which you make a request for
access to documents under the above-mentioned reference number.
You initially requested access to:
1. Letters of formal notice or draft letters of formal notification by the European
Commission or any other communication between the European Commission and the
Dutch government, regarding the Dutch government‘s plan to phase out its natural gas
production
(as
described,
for
example,
in
this
newspaper
article:
https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.reuters.com/article/us-netherlands-gas-
idUSKCN1VV1KE__;!!DOxrgLBm!Ah_BGolw6IqlfkDXQD5P27p50Ggq7JQ_qKxc1P-
hzQh2rJ0cKONxizvC1Tecs5X89_e99G3NBNnQ_RxYpNNGb0Pks2o-
o5Nfy3ozNdfmY9jA$ )
2. A list of meetings and communications (including E-mails) between the European
Commission and representatives of the gas industry discussing the above mentioned
Dutch government‘s plan to phase out its natural gas production.
With the following clarification:
- In terms of my first question I am requesting any and all correspondence (including
email) between DG GROW and the Dutch government regarding the Dutch plan to phase
out natural gas production. This may or may not include (draft) letters of formal notice
sent by the Commission as part of potential EU infringement procedures.
- Regarding the levels of meeting and communications please focus on DG GROW. In
case such a list of meetings and correspondence does not exist, I believe that composing
of such an overview list is within the scope of a FOI request.
Commission européenne/Europese Commissie, 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel, BELGIQUE/BELGIË – Tel. +32 22991111
We regret to inform you that the Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry,
Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW) does not hold any documents that would
correspond to the description given in your application.
As specified in Article 2(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001, the right of access as
defined in that regulation applies only to existing documents in the possession of the
institution.
Given that no such documents, corresponding to the description given in your
application, are held by DG GROW, DG GROW is not in a position to fulfil your
request.
In accordance with Article 7(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001, you are entitled to
make a confirmatory application requesting the Commission to review this position.
Such a confirmatory application should be addressed within 15 working days upon
receipt of this letter to the Secretary-General of the Commission at the following address:
European Commission
Secretariat-General
Unit C.1. ‘Transparency, Document Management and Access to Documents’
BERL 7/076
B-1049 Brussels,
or by email t
o: xxxxxxxxxx@xx.xxxxxx.xx
Yours faithfully,
Electronically signed
Kerstin Jorna
Director-General
2
Electronically signed on 04/11/2022 09:17 (UTC+01) in accordance with Article 11 of Commission Decision (EU) 2021/2121