This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Freedom of Information request 'DG CNET: Anti-fraud policy, Internal Audit Manual, Bi-annual Management Reports to Commissioner, overriding public interest'.



 
Ref. Ares(2014)83477 - 16/01/2014
EUROPEAN COMMISSION 
Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology 
 
 
  The Director-General 
 
Brussels,  
DG CONNECT/RM/AS/sg  
Mr. Ntetsikas 
 
Email: ask+request-597-
xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx 
 
Subject: 
Your application for access to documents – Ref GestDem No 2013/ 
4573 under Regulation 1049/2011 regarding public access to 
European Parliament, Council and Commission documents  

Dear Sir,  
We refer to your email dated 24 August 2013 wherein you make a request for access to 
documents, registered on 13 September 2013 under the above mentioned reference 
number.  
We also refer to our letter (Ares(2013)3091211 -20/09/2013) dated 20 September 2013 
wherein you have been proposed that your application is handled in several successive 
stages.  
We further refer to your email dated 22 September 2013 wherein you accepted the 
Commission's proposal.   
 The request 
You have asked for access to the following document: 
DG CONNECT's (former INFSO) Anti-Fraud Measures' expressly referred to in 
page 6 of the DG CONNECT's (former INFSO) Control and Anti-fraud strategy, 
10/09/2010, and clearly falling under the scope of the application which concerns 
"the documents describing the DG CONNECT Anti-Fraud Strategy, Policy, and 
Operational Organisation, from 1/1/2010 onwards". 
 
Please find enclosed the documents requested. (Annex 1) 
However, please note that only partial access can be granted to the document requested. 
The erased parts in the document provided fall within one or more of the exceptions laid 
down in Article 4 of Regulation 1049/2001. 
 
Commission européenne/Europese Commissie, 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel, BELGIQUE/BELGIË - Tel. +32 22991111 
Office: BU25 06/183 - Tel. direct line +32 229-85653 - Fax +32 229-20125 
 
xxxxxx.xxxxxxxxx@xx.xxxxxx.xx 
 

According to Article 4(2) third indent "the institution shall refuse access to a document 
where disclosure would undermine the protection of the purpose of inspections, 
investigations and audits.

The anti-fraud measures form part of the DG CONNECT's (former INFSO) audit 
strategy to prevent, detect and handle potential cases of fraud.  
The expunged parts give details on the measures, on their application and on the 
cooperation between OLAF, the Union's main instrument in the fight against fraud, and 
DG CONNECT. Disclosure of the blanked parts of the document would lead to lose the 
potential benefits deriving from these measures and would consequently undermine the 
purpose of future audits. If this information was to be disclosed, it would leave room for 
abuse in cases where an audited entity has acted in a fraudulent way defeating in such 
way the primary purpose of current and future audits.  
We have examined to which extent the exception laid down in Article 4(2) of Regulation 
1049/2001 may be waived in case of an overriding public interest in full disclosure. Such 
an interest must firstly be a public interest and secondly outweigh the harm caused by the 
disclosure.  
Having analysed your request, we have not found any elements which could justify the 
existence of an overriding public interest in the sense of the Regulation, which would 
outweigh the exceptions stipulated in Article 4(2) mentioned above. 
Therefore, we have concluded that only partial access to the aforementioned document 
can be granted.  
In accordance with Article 7(2) of Regulation 1049/2001, you are entitled to make a 
confirmatory application requesting the Commission to review the position above.  
 
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 
Secretary-General 
Transparency Unit SG-B-4 
BERL 5/327 
B-1049 Bruxelles 
 
or by email to: xxxxxxxxxx@xx.xxxxxx.xx 
 
 
Yours sincerely,  
 
(e-Signed) 
Robert Madelin