Ref. Ares(2021)2020076 - 22/03/2021
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
SECRETARIAT-GENERAL
Service for the EU-UK Agreements
EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement
Brussels,
SG.UKS.1/UG
Niall Duffy
Brackloon
Allihies, Co Cork, P75 VP76
Ireland
By e-mail: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx
Subject:
Your follow-up request to application for access to documents Ref
GestDem No 2021/0716
Dear Mr Duffy,
We refer to your applications of 12/02/2021, and your follow-up request sent by e-mail
on 10 March 2021, in which you asked “
Could you please provide a timetable of the
meetings and telephone conversations between Ursula von der Leyen, President of the
European Commission and Michel Bernard Barnier, European Commission's Head of
Task Force for Relations with the United Kingdom between 1/12/2020 and 31/12/2020
relating to the EU-UK Trade Deal agreed on 24/12/2020 and any notes or memos or
minutes of the meetings and or telephone conversations they had.”
Please find enclosed the minutes of the meeting of the Commission held in Brussels on
15 December 2020 and 24 December 2020.
There are no other documents falling within the scope of 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.
As the Court of Justice ruled in Case C-127/13
(Strack v Commission)1 and Case C-
491/15P
(Typke v Commission)2, the institutions do not have the obligation to draw up an
inexistent document, even if that document would be based on information appearing in
the Commission’s database.
1 Judgment of the Court of Justice of 2 October 2014 in case C-127/13 P, Strack v Commission,
EU:C:2014:2250, paragraphs 38 and 46
2 Judgement of the Court of Justice of 11 January 2017 in case C-491/15P, Typke v Commission,
EU:C:2017:5, paragraphs 30 and 31
Commission européenne/Europese Commissie, 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel, BELGIQUE/BELGIË - Tel. +32 22991111
In accordance with Article 7(2) of Regulation 1049/2001, you are entitled to introduce 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
Transparency, Document Management & Access to Documents (SG.C.1)
BERL 7/076
B-1049 Bruxelles
or by email to:
xxxxxxxxxx@xx.xxxxxx.xx
Yours sincerely,
Marie SIMONSEN
Head of Unit
Commission européenne/Europese Commissie, 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel, BELGIQUE/BELGIË - Tel. +32 22991111
Office: BERL 05/211 - Tel. direct line +32 229 86996
Electronically signed on 22/03/2021 12:39 (UTC+01) in accordance with article 11 of Commission Decision C(2020) 4482