Dies ist eine HTML Version eines Anhanges der Informationsfreiheitsanfrage 'DG Trade's contacts with Philip Morris on the EU-Japan Free Trade Agreement JEFTA'.



 
Ref. Ares(2018)731710 - 07/02/2018
EUROPEAN COMMISSION 
Directorate-General for Trade 
 
 
  The Director General 
 
Brussels,  
trade.dga1.c.1(2018)301462 
 
By registered letter with 
acknowledgment of receipt 
 
Mr Max Bank 
LobbyControl 
Am Justizzentrum 7 
50939 Cologne 
Germany 
 
Advance copy by email:  
ask+request-4639-
xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx 

 
Subject: 
Your application for access to documents – Ref GestDem No 2017/5327 
Dear Mr Bank, 
I refer to your request of 14 September 2017 for access to documents under Regulation 
(EC)  No  1049/20011    ("Regulation  1049/2001"),  registered  under  the  above  mentioned 
reference number on 15 September 2017. 
Please  accept  again  our  apologies  for  the  delay  in  answering  to  your  request,  which  is 
mainly due to a high number of requests for access to documents being processed at the 
same time by DG TRADE and more concretely by the unit in charge of this request. At 
the  same  time,  even  though  -  as  set  out  below  -  DG  TRADE  does  not  hold  any 
documents corresponding to the description given in your application, it still required a 
thorough research that took a certain time to establish that situation. 
More specifically, you requested access to: 
1)  a list of meetings of DG Trade officials and/or representatives (including the 
Commissioner and the Cabinet) and Philip Morris in which the Japan-EU Free 
                                                 
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/Europese Commissie, 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel, BELGIQUE/BELGIË - Tel. +32 22991111 
Office: CHAR 7/067 - Tel. direct line +32 229-56126 
 
xxxxxxxx.xxxxxxx@xx.xxxxxx.xx 
 



Trade Agreement JEFTA was discussed (between January 2017 and today, i.e. 
14.09.2017); 

2)  minutes and other reports of these meetings; 
3)  all correspondence (including emails) between DG Trade officials and/or 
representatives (including the Commissioner and the Cabinet) and Philip Morris 
in which the Japan-EU Free Trade Agreement JEFTA was discussed (between 
January 2017 and today, i.e. 14.09.2017). 

Please  note  that  the  agreement  which  you  refer  to  is  called  the  EU-Japan  Economic 
Partnership Agreement (EPA).  
We regret to inform you, as indicated above, that DG TRADE does not hold any documents 
that would correspond to the description given in your application.  
Indeed,  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  DG  TRADE  does  not  hold  any  such  documents  corresponding  to  the 
description given in your application, we are 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 
BE-1049 Bruxelles   
or by email to: xxxxxxxxxx@xx.xxxxxx.xx 
 Yours sincerely, 
 
 
Jean-Luc DEMARTY 
 
 
 

Electronically signed on 06/02/2018 12:30 (UTC+01) in accordance with article 4.2 (Validity of electronic documents) of Commission Decision 2004/563