DG TRADE communications on TTIP with US
Dear DG Trade,
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:
All communications (including, but not limited to, letters, emails, Whatsapp messages, sms, minutes of meetings and any other reports of such meetings) where the TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership) was discussed/mentioned between officials of DG TRADE and officials/representatives of (one or more of) the following DGs/organizations:
-United States government
-United States Trade Representative (USTR)
-United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA)
-United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
-United States Mission to the WTO
-American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham)
-Delegation of the European Union to the United States
-Secretariat-General (SG)
(between 1 February 2017 and 27 July 2017).
When 'officials' are mentioned in this request this includes the Commissioners and their Cabinet members, as well as Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and his Cabinet.
Do not hesitate to get back to me should you need any further information which could facilitate your research.
Kind regards,
Vincent Harmsen
Postal address:
Vincent Harmsen
[ADDRESS REDACTED]
[ADDRESS REDACTED]
[ADDRESS REDACTED]
Dear Mr Harmsen,
Thank you for your e-mail dated 27/07/2017. We hereby acknowledge receipt
of your application for access to documents, which was registered today
under reference number GestDem 2017/4400.
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
18/08/2017. 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,
Access to Documents Team
[1]cid:image001.png@01D2A952.C69128A0
[2]60^th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome
European Commission
Directorate-General for Trade
[3][DG TRADE request email]
Dear Mr Harmsen,
We refer to your e-mail dated 27/07/2017 in which you make a request for
access to documents, registered on the same date under the above mentioned
reference number.
The description given in your application does not enable us to identify
concrete documents which would correspond to your request.
We therefore invite you, pursuant to Article 6(2) of Regulation (EC) No
1049/2001 regarding public access to documents, to provide us with more
detailed information on the documents which you seek to obtain.
Also, we would be grateful if you could specify if your request concerns
correspondence between DG TRADE officials with the organisations/bodies
you mentioned or you wish to obtain some other correspondence. Your
request states firstly that you wish to obtain correspondence between
officials of DG TRADE and officials/representatives of (one or more of)
the following DGs/organizations:
-United States government
-United States Trade Representative (USTR)
-United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA)
-United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
-United States Mission to the WTO
-American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham)
-Delegation of the European Union to the United States
-Secretariat-General (SG)
(between 1 February 2017 and 27 July 2017).
while at the end of your request you seem to widen the request to the
correspondence between all the the Commissioners and their Cabinet
members, as well as Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and his
Cabinet and the abovementioned bodies and organisations.
If you need assistance in clarifying or specifying your application, you
can contact us:
• by email to: [DG TRADE request email]
The 15 working days the time limit for handling your application will
start running when we receive the requested clarifications!
Thank you in advance for your understanding.
Yours faithfully,
Access to Documents Team
[1]60^th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome
European Commission
Directorate-General for Trade
[2][DG TRADE request email]
Dear DG Trade,
Thanks for your message. I apologize if my request has not been clear enough.
To start with the second point you raise, what I am asking for are all communications (as specified) between officials of DG Trade and the organizations/bodies mentioned. What I tried to put in writing is that where the request concerns officials of DG Trade and officials of the SG, this also includes Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström and Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, as well as their respective Cabinet members.
Perhaps it was not necessary to point this out, since I was already asking for the communications between all officials of DG TRADE and the SG, but I thought it might be good to offer as much description possible.
Relating the first point you raise, what I am specifically looking for are contacts with US (business) representatives where TTIP has been discussed in period mentioned. Would a solution be perhaps to narrow the request down, and to exclude the SG from the list of organizations/bodies provided?
Kind regards,
Vincent Harmsen
Dear Mr Harmsen,
Thank you very much for your reply clarifying the scope of your request
sent to DG TRADE, registered with reference number GestDem 2017/4400.
Our understanding is that you request access to:
All communications (including, but not limited to, letters, emails,
Whatsapp messages, sms, minutes of meetings and any other reports of such
meetings) where the TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership)
was discussed/mentioned between officials of DG TRADE (including
Commissioner Malmström and her Cabinet) and officials/representatives of
(one or more of) the following DGs/organizations:
-United States government
-United States Trade Representative (USTR)
-United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA)
-United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
-United States Mission to the WTO
-American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham)
-Delegation of the European Union to the United States
(between 1 February 2017 and 27 July 2017).
When 'officials' are mentioned in this request this includes Commissioner
Malmström and the Cabinet members.
Could you please confirm? If so, the first deadline to reply to your
request will expire on 29/08/2017.
Thank you in advance. Kind regards,
Access to Documents Team
[1]http://ec.europa.eu/trade/images/ec-logo...
European Commission
DG TRADE
Dear DG TRADE,
Yes, I hereby confirm that the summary of my request you provided is correct.
Best regards,
Vincent Harmsen
Dear Mr Harmsen,
We refer to your request for access to documents, registered on 27/07/2017
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 tomorrow.
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 19/09/2017.
We apologise for this delay and for any inconvenience this may cause.
Yours faithfully,
Access to Documents Team
[1]60^th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome
European Commission
Directorate-General for Trade
[2][DG TRADE request email]
From: TRADE ACCES DOCUMENTS
Sent: Thursday, July 27, 2017 4:01 PM
To: 'Vincent Harmsen'
Cc: TRADE ACCES DOCUMENTS
Subject: RE: access to documents request - DG TRADE communications on TTIP
with US
Dear Mr Harmsen,
Thank you for your e-mail dated 27/07/2017. We hereby acknowledge receipt
of your application for access to documents, which was registered today
under reference number GestDem 2017/4400.
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
18/08/2017. 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,
Access to Documents Team
[3]cid:image001.png@01D2A952.C69128A0
[4]60^th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome
European Commission
Directorate-General for Trade
[5][DG TRADE request email]
Veuillez trouver ci-joint le document Ares(2017)5871678 concernant "Your application for access to documents – Ref GestDem No 2017/4400" envoyé par M/Mme DEMARTY Jean-Luc le 30/11/2017.
Please find attached document Ares(2017)5871678 regarding "Your application for access to documents – Ref GestDem No 2017/4400" sent by Mr/Ms DEMARTY Jean-Luc on 30/11/2017.
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