Dies ist eine HTML Version eines Anhanges der Informationsfreiheitsanfrage 'Commissioners' meetings with lobbyists'.



















Ref. Ares(2014)4214115 - 15/12/2014
 
EUROPEAN 
  COMMISSION 
Strasbourg, 25.11.2014  
C(2014) 9048 final 
  
COMMISSION DECISION 
of 25.11.2014 
on the publication of information on meetings held between Directors-General of the 
Commission and organisations or self-employed individuals 
 
EN    EN 

COMMISSION DECISION 
of 25.11.2014 
on the publication of information on meetings held between Directors-General of the 
Commission and organisations or self-employed individuals 
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, 
Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, 
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular 
Article 249 thereof, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community, and in 
particular Article 106a thereof, 
Whereas: 
(1) 
In accordance with Article 11(1) and (2) of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), the 
institutions must, by appropriate means, give citizens and representative associations 
the opportunity to make known and publicly exchange their views in all areas of 
Union action. They are also required to maintain an open, transparent and regular 
dialogue with representative associations and civil society. Further, in accordance with 
Article 2 of Protocol No 2 on the application of the principles of subsidiarity and 
proportionality, and with Article 11(3) of the TEU, the Commission has to consult 
widely before proposing legislative acts. 
(2) 
In accordance with Article 298 TFEU, in carrying out their missions, the institutions, 
bodies, offices and agencies of the Union must have the support of an open, efficient 
and independent European administration. 
(3) 
The Commission is committed to enhance transparency on contacts between its staff 
and organisations or self-employed individuals.  
(4) 
Citizens have already a right of access to documents of the institutions as provided for 
in Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council1. 
This Decision does not concern access to documents nor the application of Regulation 
(EC) No 1049/2001. 
(5) 
On 25 November 2014 the Commission, following the Political Guidelines of 15 July 
2014 laid down by the President, adopted a decision whereby the Members of the 
Commission are required to make public the information on meetings held by them 
and members of their Cabinet with organisations or self-employed individuals on 
issues relating to policy-making and implementation in the Union2. 
(6) 
The Directors-General of the Commission may have meetings with organisations or 
self-employed individuals for similar purposes as the meetings referred to in that 
Decision. It is therefore appropriate to apply similar transparency requirements for 
such meetings. 
                                                 

OJ L 145, 31.5.2001, p. 43. 

Add reference to Decision and OJ 
EN 
2  
 
EN 

(7) 
The Directors-General of the Commission should therefore make public information 
on meetings held by them with organisations or self-employed individuals on issues 
relating to decision-making and policy implementation in the Union. 
(8) 
Meetings with representatives of other Union institutions or bodies, which reflect the 
ordinary course of interinstitutional relations, are not covered by this Decision. 
Meetings with representatives of public authorities of the Member States are not 
covered by this Decision as those authorities pursue the general interest and contribute 
to the work of the Commission under the principle of sincere cooperation. In order to 
protect the international relations of the Union, meetings with representatives of public 
authorities of third countries and of international organisations are not covered by the 
present Decision.  
(9) 
In order to respect the specific character of the dialogue with the social partners, 
foreseen in Article 154 TFEU, as well as the specific character of the dialogue with 
churches and philosophical and non-confessional organisations, foreseen in Article 
17(3) TFEU, meetings taking place in those contexts should not be covered by the 
present Decision. 
(10) 
In view of the specific role of political parties recognised by Article 10(4) TEU, and 
given that the Inter-institutional agreement between the European Parliament and the 
European Commission of 16 April 2014 on the transparency register for organisations 
and self-employed individuals engaged in EU policy-making and policy 
implementation3 provides that the register does not apply to political parties, meetings 
with representatives of political parties should also not be covered by this Decision.  
(11)  Since in certain specific cases public information on a meeting may undermine the 
protection of the life, the integrity or privacy of an individual, the financial, monetary 
or economic policy of the Union, the market stability or sensitive commercial 
information, the proper conduct of court proceedings or inspections, investigations, 
audits or other administrative procedures, or the protection of any other important 
public interest recognised at Union level, the publication of such information should 
be withheld in such cases. 
(12)  In accordance with Article 5(a) of Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 of the European 
Parliament and of the Council4, the names of members of Directors-General who 
attend meetings with organisations or self-employed individuals can be made public; 
other individuals must have unambiguously given their consent.   
(13)  This Decision is without prejudice to more enhanced transparency requirements or 
commitments resulting from Union legislation or international agreements concluded 
by the Union, 
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: 
Article 1 
1. The 
Directors-General 
of the Commission shall make public information on all 
meetings held by them with organisations or self-employed individuals on issues 
                                                 

OJ L 277, 19.9.2014, p. 11. 

Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December on the 
protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by Community institutions and 
bodies and on the free movement of such data (OJ L 8, 12.1.2001, p. 1). 
EN 
3  
 
EN 

relating to policy-making and implementation in the Union, in accordance with the 
provisions of this Decision.  
2. 
The information to be made public shall consist of the date of the meeting, the 
location, the name of the Director-General, the name of the organisation or self-
employed individual and the subject of the meeting. 
Article 2 
For the purpose of this Decision the following definitions shall apply: 
(a) 
"Director-General" means Director-General or Head of Service of the Commission; 
(b) 
"meeting" means a bilateral encounter organised at the initiative of an organisation or 
self-employed individual or a Director-General to discuss an issue related to policy-
making and implementation in the Union. Encounters taking place in the context of 
an administrative procedure established by the Treaties or Union acts, which falls 
under the direct responsibility of the Director-General, as well as encounters of a 
purely private or social character or spontaneous encounters are excluded from this 
notion; 
(c) 
"organisation or self-employed individual" means any organisation or individual, 
irrespective of their legal status, engaged in activities carried out with the objective 
of directly or indirectly influencing the formulation or implementation of policy and 
the decision-making processes of the institutions of the Union, irrespective of where 
these activities are undertaken and of the channel or medium of communication used.  
This notion does not include representatives of other Union institutions or bodies, 
national, regional and local authorities of Member States and of third countries or 
international organisations. However, it covers any association or network created to 
represent regions or other sub-national public authorities collectively. 
Article 3 
1. 
This Decision shall not apply to meetings held with social partners at Union level in 
the context of the Social Dialogue, or to meetings held in the context of the dialogue 
with churches, religious associations or communities, as well as with philosophical 
and non-confessional organisations.  
2. 
This Decision shall not apply to meetings held with representatives of political 
parties. 
Article 4 
1. 
The information set out in Article 1(2) shall be published in a standardised format on 
the websites of the Directorates-General of the Commission within a period of two 
weeks following the meeting. 
2. 
The publication of the information may be withheld where such publication could 
undermine the protection of one of the interests referred to in Article 4(1), (2) and (3) 
of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001, in particular the life, the integrity or privacy of an 
individual, the financial, monetary or economic policy of the Union, the market 
stability or sensitive commercial information, the proper conduct of court 
proceedings or inspections, investigations, audits or other administrative procedures; 
or the protection of any other important public interest recognised at Union level.  
EN 
4  
 
EN 

Article 5 
The names of individuals (acting on behalf of organisations or self-employed individuals) or 
Commission officials (other than Directors-General) attending meetings shall not be made 
public unless they have unambiguously given their consent.  
Article 6 
The organisations or self-employed individuals shall be informed of the fact that the 
information set out in Article 1(2) will be made public. 
Article 7 
This Decision shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official 
Journal of the European Union
.  
It shall apply from 1 December 2014
Done at Strasbourg, 25.11.2014 
 
 
For the Commission 
 The 
President 
 Jean-Claude 
JUNCKER 
EN 
5  
 
EN