Ref. Ares(2016)6544012 - 22/11/2016
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Directorate-General for Trade
The Director General
Brussels,
Trade.dga1.d.3(2016)7036434
By registered letter with acknowledgment of
receipt
Mr Hans Wetzels
Van Spilbergenstraat 84-3
1057RL Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Advance copy by email: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx
Subject:
Your application for access to documents – Ref. GestDem No 2016/6119
Dear Mr Wetzels,
I refer to your application of 31 October 2016 in which you make a request for access to
documents in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001,1 registered under the
above mentioned reference number.
In particular, you would like to receive access to:
‘- Any study, impact assessment, forecast, paper or other document - commissioned or
authored by any part of the European Commission or received from third parties (lobby
group, NGO, academic, consultant, or other) - that assesses the impact of GMO food-
labelling on the EU food industries in any particular member state(s) - especially in
reference to and in the context of the TTIP negotiations.
- a list of meetings with detailed minutes and any other reports of such meetings between
DG TRADE's officials (including the Commissioner and his Cabinet members) and other
DGs and/or third parties (lobby group, NGO, academic, consultant, or other) where the
topic of GMO food-labelling was discussed between January 2013 and December 2015 -
especially in reference to and in the context of the TTIP negotiations.’
1 Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 2001
regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents, OJ L 145,
31.5.2001, p. 43.
Commission européenne, B-1049 Bruxelles / Europese Commissie, B-1049 Brussel - Belgium. Telephone: (32-2) 299 11 11.
The first part of your request (any study or other similar document that assesses the
impact of GMO food-labelling on the EU food industries in any particular member
state(s), especially in reference to and in the context of the TTIP negotiations) has been
attributed to the Directorate General for Health and Food Safety, who will reply directly
to you2.
This letter concerns only the second part of your request.
I regret to inform you that no documents were found that would fall under the scope of
the second part of your request. The labelling of GMO food has never been discussed by
DG TRADE officials in reference to, or in the context of, TTIP negotiations.
As specified in Article 2(3) of Regulation 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 have been identified, the Commission is not in a position
to handle your request.
***
In accordance with Article 7(2) of Regulation 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
Secretary-General
Transparency unit SG-B-4
BERL 5/282
B-1049 Bruxelles
or by emai
l to: xxxxxxxxxx@xx.xxxxxx.xx
Yours sincerely,
Jean-Luc DEMARTY
2 Application GestDem 2016/6310.
2
Electronically signed on 22/11/2016 09:27 (UTC+01) in accordance with article 4.2 (Validity of electronic documents) of Commission Decision 2004/563