Dear Mr Giegold,
 
We refer to your request regarding the informal reports of meetings of the Code of Conduct group. This request  concerns a large number of documents (63) originating from the Commission,  over a very large number of years. It is therefore not possible, due the workload in Commission services, to handle this request in the normal timeframe set up by Article 7 of Regulation  1049/2001 on access to documents. Moreover, and given that the informal minutes drafted by Commission officials contain mainly information from the national authorities who participated to the meetings, we have to consult them. The consultation is taking place and national authorities will be have until 8 January 2016 to provide their reply.
 
In the meantime and in accordance with Article 6 (3) of Regulation 1049/2001 which provides that "in the event of an application relating to a very long document or to very large number of documents, the institution concerned may confer with the applicant informally, with a view to finding a fair solution".
We are writing to you with a view to reaching a fair solution as regards the timing of the reply  to your request.
 
In view of the consultation of the Member States which will imply the final assessment of the documents in view of the comments received, the redaction of those parts of the documents to which exceptions of Regulation 1049/2001 apply, the drafting and approval of the reply, the preparation of the reply and of the documents to be dispatched, we propose to send you a reply between 25 and 29 January 2016.
 
We trust that you will understand the constraints linked to the handling of  these documents and that you will agree with this solution.
 
 
Best regards,
 
VIRGINIE GUENNELON
Legal officer
 

European Commission
Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union
Inter-Institutional Relations, coordination, communication and strategic planning.

J-79, 3/233
B-1049 Brussels/Belgium
+32 2 29 58408
[email address]
 
 
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Sven Giegold [mailto:ask+[email address]]
Sent: Wednesday, November 18, 2015 9:57 PM
To: TAXUD ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS
Subject: Internal review of access to information request - Code of Conduct Group on business taxation - comptes-rendus of meetings
 
Dear Taxation and Customs Union,
 
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
 
I am writing to request an internal review of Taxation and Customs Union's handling of my FOI request 'Code of Conduct Group on business taxation - comptes-rendus of meetings'.
 
On the 18th of September, two months ago, I requested, under the right of access to documents in the EU treaties, as developed in Regulation 1049/2001, the following documents:
 
Any informal notes, minutes or other written records from Commission representatives attending meetings of the Code of Conduct group on business taxation since its coming into existence (since 9.3.1998).
 
In your answer dating from 29th of October, you only provided room documents that were already disclosed further to various, previous and specific requests for access to documents originating from the Commission relating to the Code of Conduct group. In my request, I had asked specifically for informal notes, minutes or other written records from meetings of the Code of Conduct group on business taxation. As you did not provide any meeting minutes nor answer my request, I herewith submit a confirmatory application.
 
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: http://www.asktheeu.org/en/request/code_of_conduct_group_on_busines
 
Yours faithfully,
 
Sven Giegold
 
ASP 05F163
Rue Wiertz 60
1047 Brussels
 
 
 
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