Contacts with non-EU-countries on border security
Dear International Cooperation and Development,
Under the right of access to documents in the EU treaties, as developed in Regulation 1049/2001, I am requesting documents which contain the following information:
- minutes and other reports of meetings between DG DEVCO officials and representatives of non-EU-countries in which the issue(s) of border security and/or border control and/or illegal immigration were discussed in the period between April 1st 2015 and today;
- all correspondence (including emails) between DG DEVCO officials and representatives of non-EU-countries in which the issue(s) of border security and/or border control and/or illegal immigration were discussed in the period between April 1st 2015 and today.
Yours faithfully,
Mark Akkerman
Dear Mr. Akkerman,
Thank you for your request for access to documents.
Unfortunately you have not indicated your postal address that is required
for registering and handling your request in line with the procedural
requirements. Please send us your full postal address at your earliest
convenience. Pending your reply, we reserve the right to refuse the
registration of your request.
You may, of course, use directly the electronic form for entering your
request:
[1]http://ec.europa.eu/transparency/regdoc/...
Best regards,
European Commission
Directorate-General for International Development and Cooperation
Local Support and Logistics
B-1049 Brussels/Belgium
Dear International Cooperation and Development,
Thank you for your response. My postal address is:
Anna Spenglerstraat 71
1054 NH Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Yours faithfully,
Mark Akkerman
Dear Sir,
Thank you for your e-mail dated 15/03/2017. We hereby acknowledge receipt
of your application for access to documents, which was registered on
16/03/2017 under reference number GestDem 2017/1656.
In accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 regarding public access to
European Parliament, Council and Commission documents, your application
will be handled within 15 working days. The time limit will expire on
6/04/2017. In case this time limit needs to be extended, you will be
informed in due course.
You have lodged your application via the AsktheEU.org website. Please note
that this is a private website which has no link with any institution of
the European Union. Therefore the European Commission cannot be held
accountable for any technical issues or problems linked to the use of this
system.
Yours faithfully,
European Commission
Directorate-General for International Development and Cooperation
Local Support and Logistics
B-1049 Brussels/Belgium
Dear Mr Akkerman,
We refer to your e-mail dated 15/03/2017 in which you make a request for
access to documents, registered on 16/03/2017 under the above mentioned
reference number.
Your application is currently being handled. However, we will not be in a
position to complete the handling of your application within the time
limit of 15 working days, which expires on 6/04/2017.
An extended time limit is needed as your application the application
concerns a large number of documents.
Therefore, we have to extend the time limit with 15 working days in
accordance with Article 7(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 regarding
public access to documents. The new time limit expires on 20/04/17.
We apologise for this delay and for any inconvenience this may cause.
Yours faithfully,
Francesca Nieto
Programme Manager – INSC Sector
[1]cid:100581314@20042012-1A38
European Commission
DG International Cooperation and Development
Unit B5 –Stability, Security, Development and Nuclear Safety
LOI41 2/154 - B-1049 Brussels/Belgium
Phone: +32 2 29 86 676 / Fax: +32 2 29 95 206
[2][email address]
References
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2. mailto:[email address]
Dear Mr Akkerman,
The handling of your request involves the assessment of a very large
number of documents originating from third Parties and EU Delegations and
EU Member States. The analysis of these documents, together with the need
to consult the third parties/EU Delegations/Member States concerned in
accordance with Article 4(4) and 4(5) of Regulation 1049/2001, cannot be
expected to be completed within the normal time limits set out in Article
7 of Regulation 1049/2001.
Based on the above-mentioned provision, we would kindly ask you to specify
the objective of your request and your specific interest in the documents
requested, and whether you could narrow down the scope of your request
(i.e. the subject matter(s) and/or timeframe covered), so as to reduce it
to a more manageable amount of documents.
Kind regards
DEVCO B5
[1]cid:image001.gif@01CF0AC4.717D0440
European Commission
DG International Cooperation and Development - EuropeAid
Unit B5 – Stability, Security, Development and Nuclear Safety
L41 02/125
B-1049 Brussels/Belgium
+32 2 2986139
[email address]
References
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Dear International Cooperation and Development,
Thank you for your response to my request. To clarify this request, as you asked:
* It concerns the following list of countries:
- Egypt
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Libya
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Morocco
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Senegal
- Somalia
- Sudan
- Tunisia
* and the following topics discussed:
- military and security cooperation in the field of border security/border management
- EU support (financial support, technical support, training) for military and security operations and purchases in the field of border security/border management
* this is for both bilateral and multilateral meetings, on political, expert and operational level
* to narrow down the period: from June 1st, 2016 to today.
The objective of my request is a research project on the subjects mentioned above.
Yours faithfully,
Mark Akkerman
Dear International Cooperation and Development,
At the end of April I've send you a clarification of my request, as you asked for. I haven't had a response since then. Can you tell me when I can expect an answer to my request?
Yours faithfully,
Mark Akkerman
Dear Mr Akkerman,
I am sorry to tell you that we need a precise question, your clarification is still too wide and unclear.
Please liaise directly with our colleague Teresa Barrio Traspaderne (+32 229-13626 [email address]) when you will be able to identify exactly what you need.
Best regards,
European Commission
DG International Cooperation and Development
Unit B5 – Security, Nuclear Safety
B-1049 Brussels/Belgium
Dear International Cooperation and Development,
You have referred me to your colleague for further communication, but I get no response from Teresa Barrio Traspaderne whatsoever.
Can you tell me how much more clarification you need? I filed the same request at several other DGs and institutions, and they could all work with this or with the same clarification as I gave in my mail of April 24, so I can't see why that would be any different for you. I would also like to remind you that the answer I got on my mail of April 24 (and reminder of June 29) has already far surpassed the time limits sets for these requests.
Yours faithfully,
Mark Akkerman
Dear International Cooperation and Development,
Please pass this on to the person who reviews confirmatory applications.
I am filing the following confirmatory application with regards to my access to documents request 'Contacts with non-EU-countries on border security'.
The handling of this request is long overdue, the person I've been referred to doesn't answer emails at all and my last mail to ask what more clarification was needed has also been left unanswered.
After having clarified and specified my request at 24 April there was no response untill I sent another mail at 29 June. In this mail, without any further explanation on why I wasn't told earlier that more clarification was needed nor what needed to be clarified, it was stated that I should contact Teresa Barrio Traspaderne. I've mailed her three times, but I got no response whatsoever. Another mail to the general address, of July 31, has also been left unanswered.
Apart from this: I filed the same request at several other DGs and institutions, and they could all work with this or with the same clarification as I gave in my mail of April 24 to you, so I can't see why that would be any different for you. Anyway, at least my question on how much more clarification/specification is needed should have been answered.
A full history of my request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.asktheeu.org/en/request/cont...
I would like either a substantive response to my original request, as clarified on April 24, or a response on the question what more clarification is needed for you to be able to answer my request.
Yours faithfully,
Mark Akkerman
Dear Sir,
Thank you for your email dated 29/08/2017, by which you request, pursuant
to Regulation No 1049/2001 regarding public access to European Parliament,
Council and Commission documents, a review of the position taken by DG
DEVCO in reply to your initial application GESTDEM 2017/1656.
We hereby acknowledge receipt of your confirmatory application for access
to documents which was registered on 30/08/2017 (Ares(2017)4234480).
Your application will be handled within 15 working days (20/09/2017). In
case this time limit needs to be extended, you will be informed in due
course.
Please be informed that the answer to your confirmatory application is a
formal Commission decision that will be notified to you by express
delivery.
We kindly offer you the possibility to provide us a contact phone number
(by email to [1][email address]), so that the external delivery
service can contact you in case of absence.
Please note that the Commission will not use your phone number for any
other purpose than for informing the delivery service, and that it will
delete it immediately thereafter.
Yours faithfully,
Carlos Remis
SG.B.4
Transparence
Berl. 05/315
Dear Mr Akkerman,
Thank you for your email of 29 August 2017 in which you lodged a
confirmatory application for access to documents - GESTDEM 2017/1656.
In the meantime, DG DEVCO confirmed to us that it is handling your initial
request and assured us that it is doing its utmost to provide you with an
initial reply as soon as possible.
Consequently, we would like to inform you that the Secretariat General
will not register your confirmatory application at this stage.
However, upon receipt of the initial reply, if you wish to submit a
confirmatory request in accordance with Article 7 of the Regulation (EC)
No 1049/2001 regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and
Commission documents, you remain free to do so.
Best regards,
BLURIOT-PUEBLA Madeleine
Cellule 'Accès aux documents'
European Commission
SG/B/4 - Transparence
BERL 05/315
B-1049 Brussels/Belgium
+32 2 296 09 97
[1][email address]
Dear International Cooperation and Development,
Thank you for your mail of September 11. In the meantime another two weeks have passed without any answer from DG DEVCO. Is there any indication on when I can expect to receive this 'initial reply' to a request a filed over half a year ago?
Yours faithfully,
Mark Akkerman
Dear International Cooperation and Development,
Please pass this on to the person who reviews confirmatory applications.
I am filing the following confirmatory application with regards to my access to documents request 'Contacts with non-EU-countries on border security'.
The handling of this request is long overdue, the person I've been referred to doesn't answer emails at all and emails to DG DEVCO asking when they will reply to my request also remain unanswered.
After having clarified and specified my request at 24 April there was no response untill I sent another mail at 29 June. In this mail, without any further explanation on why I wasn't told earlier that more clarification was needed nor what needed to be clarified, it was stated that I should contact Teresa Barrio Traspaderne. I've mailed her three times, but I got no response whatsoever. Another mail to the general address, of July 31, has also been left unanswered.
I filed a confirmatory request on 29 August, which was denied by you on September 11 because DG DEVCO said they were handling my initial request. However, they have already refused this request, don't answer emails and refuse to give any indication when their response can finally be expected. In my opinion this adds up to a situation where my request has been refused and a confirmatory request should be handled as such is the case.
I emphasize again: I filed the same request at several other DGs and institutions, and they could all work with this or with the same clarification as I gave in my mail of April 24 to you, so I can't see why that would be any different for you. Anyway, at least my question on how much more clarification/specification is needed and all other ignored emails after this should have been answered.
I would still like a substantive response to my original request, as clarified on April 24.
A full history of my request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.asktheeu.org/en/request/cont...
Yours faithfully,
Mark Akkerman
Dear Mr Akkerman,
Your request is being dealt with and we will endeavour to respond you within two weeks.
Thank you for your patience.
Kind regards,
Teresa BARRIO TRASPADERNE
European Commission
DG International Cooperation and Development - EuropeAid
Unit B5 – Security, Nuclear Safety
L41 02/115
B-1049 Brussels/Belgium
[email address]
Dear International Cooperation and Development,
Thank you for mail of 2 October, in which you said you would need another two weeks to respond to my request of 15 March. In the meantime another five weeks have passed and there's still no response.
Please be advised that I plan to file another confirmatory application if I don't have an answer by the end of next week.
Yours faithfully,
Mark Akkerman
Dear Mr Akkerman,
Apologies for the delayed response.
We are currently in the process of gathering all the information you
requested. In the meantime, I can share the following with you:
· Eritrea – no information was found.
· Ethiopia – no information was found.
· Mauritania
o Minutes of the CoPil held this summer (project GAR-SI MR) (attached)
· Nigeria
o Please see the link to Nigeria's NIP 11th EDF:
[1]https://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/national-...
o Please see the link to information on Nigeria's participation in the
EU Trust Fund for Africa:
[2]https://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/fonds-fid...
· Sudan
o Minutes of the migration coordination meetings held in Khartoum
(attached).
o EMLO monthly reports (attached).
DEVCO does not work in Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia, as these
countries fall under the remit of DG NEAR, who I believe has already
provided you with an answer.
Thank you again for your patience while we gather the remaining
information.
Kind regards,
Teresa BARRIO TRASPADERNE [3]cid:image001.gif@01CF0AC4.717D0440
European Commission
DG International Cooperation and Development - EuropeAid
Unit B5 – Security, Nuclear Safety
L41 02/115
B-1049 Brussels/Belgium
+32 2 29 96 1194
[4][email address]
References
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1. https://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/national-...
2. https://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/fonds-fid...
4. mailto:[email address]
Dear International Cooperation and Development,
Thank you for your response, the documents and the apologies.
Yours faithfully,
Mark Akkerman
Dear Mr Akkerman,
The official reply to your request has been sent to you by mail.
Please find it attached, along with the corresponding documents.
Kind regards,
Teresa BARRIO TRASPADERNE [1]cid:image001.gif@01CF0AC4.717D0440
European Commission
DG International Cooperation and Development - EuropeAid
Unit B5 – Security, Nuclear Safety
L41 02/115
B-1049 Brussels/Belgium
+32 2 29 96 1194
[2][email address]
References
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2. mailto:[email address]