Gas Market, TEN-E regulation, June 2019-Feb 2020, Secr-Gen
From: Belen Balanya, Corporate Europe Observatory
Rue d’Edimbourg 26, 1050 Brussels.
27 February 2020 2019 RE: Access to Documents related to gas market reform
Dear sirs,
Referring to Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 on public access to EU documents and to the 'Aarhus Regulation' (see note), I would herewith like to ask for access to the following:
1- all correspondence (including email) between 29 June 2019 and 27 February 2020 between former/current Commission President and/or his/her cabinet on one hand and representatives from Eurogas, GasNaturally, the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP), Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE), Marcogaz, IFIEC Europe, ENTSOG, ENTSOE, Eurelectric, Business Europe, CEFIC, Hydrogen Europe, Gas for Climate, Bioenergy Europe, European Biogas Association, National Grid, Open Grid Europe, Enagas, Gasunie, GRTgaz/GRDF/Engie, Terega, Statoil/Equinor, ExxonMobil, Shell, BP, Enagas, Snam, Fluxys, Gazprom, Weber Shandwick, Gplus, Fleishman-Hillard and/or FTI Consulting on the other, in which the gas market reform or the TEN-E regulation was addressed.
2 - minutes from the meetings held between 29 June 2019 and 27 February 2020 between former/current Commission President and/or his/her Cabinet on one hand and representatives from Eurogas, GasNaturally, the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP), Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE), Marcogaz, IFIEC Europe, ENTSOG, ENTSOE, Eurelectric, Business Europe, CEFIC, Hydrogen Europe, Gas for Climate, Bioenergy Europe, European Biogas Association, National Grid, Open Grid Europe, Enagas, Gasunie, GRTgaz/GRDF/Engie, Terega, Statoil/Equinor, ExxonMobil, Shell, BP, Enagas, Snam, Fluxys, Gazprom, Weber Shandwick, Gplus, Fleishman-Hillard and/or FTI Consulting on the other, in which the gas market reform or the TEN-E regulation was addressed.
I would like to make clear I prefer you produce the documents on a rolling basis.
At no point should the Commission’s search for—or deliberations concerning—certain documents delay the production of others that the Commission has already retrieved and elected to produce.
To the extent possible, we prefer the documents in electronic format. Documents that cannot be sent in electronic format should be sent to Corporate Europe Observatory, Rue d’Edimbourg 26, 1050 Brussels.
Should my request be denied wholly or partially, please explain the denial or all deletions referring to specific exemptions in the regulation. Also I expect the partial release of documents, in case of partial exemption according to article 4.6.
I reserve the right to appeal.
Please confirm having received this application. I look forward to your reply within 15 business days, according to the regulation.
Thank you for your assistance.
Belen Balanya
Corporate Europe Observatory
Note: See Regulation (EC) n. 1367/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 September 2006 on the application of the provisions of the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters to Community Institutions and bodies (hereinafter "Aarhus Regulation")
Your message has been received by the Transparency Unit of the
Secretariat-General of the European Commission.
Requests for public access to documents are treated on the basis of
[1]Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 of 30 May 2001 regarding public access to
European Parliament, Council and Commission documents.
The Secretariat-General will reply to your request within 15 working days
upon registration of your request and will duly inform you of the
registration of the request (or of any additional information to be
provided in view of its registration and/or treatment).
L’unité «Transparence» du secrétariat général de la Commission européenne
a bien reçu votre message.
Les demandes d’accès du public aux documents sont traitées sur la base du
[2]règlement (CE) n° 1049/2001 du 30 mai 2001 relatif à l’accès du public
aux documents du Parlement européen, du Conseil et de la Commission.
Le secrétariat général répondra à votre demande dans un délai de 15 jours
ouvrables à compter de la date d’enregistrement de votre demande, et vous
informera de cet enregistrement (ou vous indiquera toute information
supplémentaire à fournir en vue de l'enregistrement et/ou du traitement de
votre demande).
Ihre Nachricht ist beim Referat „Transparenz“ des Generalsekretariats der
Europäischen Kommission eingegangen.
Anträge auf Zugang zu Dokumenten werden auf der Grundlage der
[3]Verordnung (EG) Nr. 1049/2001 vom 30. Mai 2001 über den Zugang der
Öffentlichkeit zu Dokumenten des Europäischen Parlaments, des Rates und
der Kommission behandelt.
Das Generalsekretariat beantwortet Ihre Anfrage innerhalb von
15 Arbeitstagen nach deren Registrierung und wird Sie über die
Registrierung Ihres Antrags (oder die Notwendigkeit weiterer Informationen
im Hinblick auf dessen Registrierung und/oder Bearbeitung) unterrichten.
References
Visible links
1. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/...
2. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/...
3. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/...
Link: [1]File-List
Link: [2]Edit-Time-Data
Link: [3]themeData
Link: [4]colorSchemeMapping
[5]Ares(2020)1259643 - RE: access to documents request - Gas Market, TEN-E
regulation, June 2019-Feb 2020, Secr-Gen
Sent by ve_sg.accessdoc (SG) <[SG request email]>. All responses have
to be sent to this email address.
Envoyé par ve_sg.accessdoc (SG) <[SG request email]>. Toutes les
réponses doivent être effectuées à cette adresse électronique.
Dear Madam,
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:
[6]http://ec.europa.eu/transparency/regdoc/....
You have lodged your application via the AsktheEU.org website. Please note
that this is a private third-party 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.
Please note that the private third party running the AsktheEU.org website
is responsible and accountable for the processing of your personal data
via that website, and not the European Commission. For further information
on your rights, please refer to the third party’s privacy policy.
We understand that the third party running that website usually publishes
the content of applicants’ correspondence with the European Commission on
that website. This includes the personal data that you may have
communicated to the European Commission (e.g. your private postal
address).
Similarly, the third party publishes on that website any reply that the
Commission will send to the email address of the applicants generated by
the AsktheEU.org website.
If you do not wish your correspondence with the European Commission to be
published on the AsktheEU.org website, you can provide us with an
alternative, private e-mail address for further correspondence.
In that case, the European Commission will send all future electronic
correspondence addressed to you only to that private address.
Yours faithfully,
ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS TEAM (GD)
[7]cid:image001.png@01D45409.F767C980
European Commission
Secretariat-General
SG C.1
[8][email address]
Link: [1]File-List
Link: [2]Edit-Time-Data
Link: [3]themeData
Link: [4]colorSchemeMapping
[5]Ares(2020)1260627 - FW: Ares(2020)1259643 - RE: access to documents
request - Gas Market, TEN-E regulation, June 2019-Feb 2020, Secr-Gen -
Gestdem 2020/1182
Sent by ve_sg.accessdoc (SG) <[SG request email]>. All responses have
to be sent to this email address.
Envoyé par ve_sg.accessdoc (SG) <[SG request email]>. Toutes les
réponses doivent être effectuées à cette adresse électronique.
Dear Madam,
Please ignore our message below sent today at 1:21 pm; we missed your
postal address at the top of your request.
Thank you for your e-mail dated 27/02/2020. We hereby acknowledge receipt
of your application for access to documents, which was registered on
28/02/2020 under reference number GestDem 2020/1182.
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 20/03/2020. 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 third-party 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.
Please note that the private third party running the AsktheEU.org website
is responsible and accountable for the processing of your personal data
via that website, and not the European Commission. For further information
on your rights, please refer to the third party’s privacy policy.
We understand that the third party running that website usually publishes
the content of applicants’ correspondence with the European Commission on
that website. This includes the personal data that you may have
communicated to the European Commission (e.g. your private postal
address).
Similarly, the third party publishes on that website any reply that the
Commission will send to the email address of the applicants generated by
the AsktheEU.org website.
If you do not wish your correspondence with the European Commission to be
published on the AsktheEU.org website, you can provide us with an
alternative, private e-mail address for further correspondence.
In that case, the European Commission will send all future electronic
correspondence addressed to you only to that private address.
Yours faithfully,
ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS TEAM (GD)
[6]cid:image001.png@01D45409.F767C980
European Commission
Secretariat-General
SG C.1
[7][email address]
From: ve_sg.accessdoc (SG) <[SG request email]>
Sent: Friday, February 28, 2020 1:21 PM
To: Belen Balanya <[FOI #7716 email]>
Subject: Ares(2020)1259643 - RE: access to documents request - Gas Market,
TEN-E regulation, June 2019-Feb 2020, Secr-Gen
[8]Ares(2020)1259643 - RE: access to documents request - Gas Market, TEN-E
regulation, June 2019-Feb 2020, Secr-Gen
Sent by ve_sg.accessdoc (SG) . All responses have to be sent to this email
address.
Envoyé par ve_sg.accessdoc (SG) . Toutes les réponses doivent être
effectuées à cette adresse électronique.
Dear Madam,
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:
[9]http://ec.europa.eu/transparency/regdoc/....
You have lodged your application via the AsktheEU.org website. Please note
that this is a private third-party 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.
Please note that the private third party running the AsktheEU.org website
is responsible and accountable for the processing of your personal data
via that website, and not the European Commission. For further information
on your rights, please refer to the third party’s privacy policy.
We understand that the third party running that website usually publishes
the content of applicants’ correspondence with the European Commission on
that website. This includes the personal data that you may have
communicated to the European Commission (e.g. your private postal
address).
Similarly, the third party publishes on that website any reply that the
Commission will send to the email address of the applicants generated by
the AsktheEU.org website.
If you do not wish your correspondence with the European Commission to be
published on the AsktheEU.org website, you can provide us with an
alternative, private e-mail address for further correspondence.
In that case, the European Commission will send all future electronic
correspondence addressed to you only to that private address.
Yours faithfully,
ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS TEAM (GD)
[10]cid:image001.png@01D45409.F767C980
European Commission
Secretariat-General
SG C.1
[11][email address]
Link: [1]File-List
Link: [2]themeData
Link: [3]colorSchemeMapping
[4]Ares(2020)1669718 - Your request for access to documents GestDem
2020/1182
Sent by ve_sg.dsg2.e2 (SG) <[email address]>. All responses
have to be sent to this email address.
Envoyé par ve_sg.dsg2.e2 (SG) <[email address]>. Toutes les
réponses doivent être effectuées à cette adresse électronique.
Dear Ms Balanya,
I refer to your request dated 27/02/2020, registered on 28/02/2020, in
which you make a request for access to documents 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 20/03/2020.
An extended time limit is needed as the handling of your application could
not yet be completed at this stage.
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 15/04/2020.
I apologise for any inconvenience this delay may cause.
Yours sincerely,
European Commission
Secretariat-General
Unit E.2 – Natural Resources, Energy Union and Sustainability
References
Visible links
1. file:///tmp/cid:filelist.xml@01D5FE96.313D5430
2. file:///tmp/~~themedata~~
3. file:///tmp/~~colorschememapping~~
4. https://webgate.ec.testa.eu/Ares/documen...
Please find attached document Ares(2020)1669718 from ve_sg.dsg2.e2 (SG.DSG2.E.2) dated 20/03/2020.
Veuillez trouver ci-joint le document Ares(2020)1669718 de ve_sg.dsg2.e2 (SG.DSG2.E.2) daté du 20/03/2020.
Dear ve_sg.dsg2.e2(SG),
You are really long overdue with this, deadline for your last extension was mid April. I urge you to disclose the requested documents with no further delay,
Yours sincerely,
Belen Balanya
Dear Ms Balanya,
I am writing in reference to your access to documents request in reference
above, related to the reform of the gas market and the review of the TEN-E
Regulation.
I regret to inform you that, due to the current situation and although we
took without delay the requisite steps to gather the information and
provide a reply, we have been unable to revert to you so far. Meeting your
request requires a search within a substantial amount of data. Whilst we
are handling in parallel many similar requests and deploy every effort to
meet the deadlines, the follow-up on this is one has unfortunately been
delayed. As you are aware, since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis the
Commission has put in place severe restrictions to the number of people
who can access the premises. Such restrictions continue today, with only a
small percentage of Commission officials able to come to the office, and
only every other week. Although the Commission services steadily continue
to discharge their duties thanks to telework when not physically in
office, some perturbation is unfortunately inevitable.
Please accept my sincere apologies and rest assured that your request is
being processed as we do our best to retrieve, and will communicate to you
as soon as possible any relevant information.
With best regards,
François Arbault
Head of Unit │Chef d’unité
SG/E-2
European Green Deal │ Pacte vert européen
____________________________________________________________________
Secretariat-General │ Secrétariat Général
[1]cid:image001.png@01CEB977.062EF2F0
[2]cid:image003.png@01D64B26.8CC0E2E0
European Commission │Commission européenne
Office│Bureau : Berlaymont (BERL) – 06/99
B-1049 Brussels │Bruxelles
Tel : +32-2-299.12.35
E-mail: [3][email address]
______________________________________________________________________________
The views expressed in this e-mail are my own and may not, under any
circumstances, be interpreted as stating an official position of the
European Commission.
Les opinions exprimées dans ce message sont les miennes et ne peuvent, en
aucun cas, refléter une position officielle de la Commission européenne.
References
Visible links
3. mailto:[email address]
Dear Secretariat General of the European Commission,
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 'Gas Market, TEN-E regulation, June 2019-Feb 2020, Secr-Gen', GestDem 2020/1182
After the last holding message of 17 September 2020 which was sent more than 6 months after I had submit my application, I have not received any further message, neither the documents I had asked for.
I urge you to disclose the requested information in the shortest time possible.
kind regards,
Belen Balanya
[1]Ares(2020)5342279 - RE: Internal review of access to documents request
- Gas Market, TEN-E regulation, June 2019-Feb 2020, Secr-Gen
Sent by ve_sg.accessdoc (SG) <[SG request email]>. All responses have
to be sent to this email address.
Envoyé par ve_sg.accessdoc (SG) <[SG request email]>. Toutes les
réponses doivent être effectuées à cette adresse électronique.
Dear Madam,
Thank you for your email dated 08/10/2020 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 the
Secretariat-General in reply to your initial application GESTDEM
2020/1182.
We hereby acknowledge receipt of your confirmatory application for access
to documents which was registered on 08/10/2020 (Ares(2020)5342174).
Your application will be handled within 15 working days (29/10/2020). 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. Thank you for providing your contact phone number, 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,
Access to documents team (RC)
Link: [1]File-List
Link: [2]Edit-Time-Data
Link: [3]themeData
Link: [4]colorSchemeMapping
[5]Ares(2020)6037558 - Your confirmatory application for access to
documents under Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 - GESTDEM 2020/1182
Sent by ve_sg.accessdoc (SG) <[SG request email]>. All responses have
to be sent to this email address.
Envoyé par ve_sg.accessdoc (SG) <[SG request email]>. Toutes les
réponses doivent être effectuées à cette adresse électronique.
Dear Mr Balanya,
I refer to your e-mail of 8 October, registered on the same date, by which
you submit a confirmatory application in accordance with Article 7(2) of
Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 regarding public access to European
Parliament, Council and Commission documents[6]^^[1] ("Regulation
1049/2001").
Your confirmatory application is currently being handled. Unfortunately,
we have not yet been able to gather all the elements we need to carry out
a full analysis of your request in order to take a final decision and,
therefore, we are not in a position to reply to your confirmatory request
within the prescribed time limit expiring on 29 October 2020.
Consequently, we have to extend this period by another 15 working days in
accordance with Article 8(2) of Regulation 1049/2001. The new deadline
expires on 20 November 2020.
Yours sincerely,
María OLIVÁN AVILÉS
Head of Unit
[7]cid:image001.gif@01D13362.41D673C0
European Commission
Secretariat General
SG.C.1 (Transparency, Document Management and Access to Documents)
------------------------
[8][1] Official Journal L 145 of 31.5.2001, p. 43.
References
Visible links
1. file:///tmp/cid:filelist.xml@01D6AD21.B06D08B0
2. file:///tmp/cid:editdata.mso
3. file:///tmp/~~themedata~~
4. file:///tmp/~~colorschememapping~~
5. https://webgate.ec.testa.eu/Ares/documen...
6. file:///tmp/foiextract20211201-31628-cccmlp#_ftn1
8. file:///tmp/foiextract20211201-31628-cccmlp#_ftnref1
Please find attached document Ares(2020)6966373 from ve_sg.dsg2.e2 (SG.DSG2.E.2) dated 20/11/2020.
Veuillez trouver ci-joint le document Ares(2020)6966373 de ve_sg.dsg2.e2 (SG.DSG2.E.2) daté du 20/11/2020.
Dear Madam,
Please find enclosed a letter concerning your confirmatory application –
Gestdem 2020/1182.
Yours faithfully,
ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS TEAM (GD)
[1]cid:image001.png@01D45409.F767C980
European Commission
Secretariat-General
SG C.1
[2][email address]
References
Visible links
2. mailto:[email address]