Commission letter EFF
Dear Madam, Sir,
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:
The European Commission letter with reference number Ares (2012) 722661. According to my information, the letter with recommendations was dated 18 June 2012.
Please send me an acknowledgement of receipt for this request, as foreseen by Article 7 (1) of Regulation 1049/2001.
Peter Teffer
postal address:
Peter Teffer
Ekko Voorkamer
Bemuurde Weerd WZ 3
3513 BH Utrecht
The Netherlands
Dear Sir,
Thank you for your e-mail of 03/12/2021. We hereby acknowledge receipt of your application for access to documents, which was registered on 10/12/2021 under reference number GESTDEM 2021/8028.
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 11/01/2022. In case this time limit needs to be extended, you will be informed in due course.
You have lodged your application via 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 Commission. For further information on your rights, please refer to the third party’s privacy policy.
We understand that the third party running the AsktheEU.org website usually publishes the content of applicants’ correspondence with the Commission on that website. This includes the personal data that you may have communicated to the 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 that your correspondence with the Commission is published on a private third-party website such as AsktheEU.org, you can provide us with an alternative, private e-mail address for further correspondence. In that case, the Commission will send all future electronic correspondence addressed to you only to that private address, and it will use only that private address to reply to your request. You should still remain responsible to inform the private third-party website about this change of how you wish to communicate with, and receive a reply from, the Commission.
For information on how we process your personal data visit our page Privacy statement – access to documents:
https://ec.europa.eu/info/principles-and...
Yours faithfully,
MARE Access to Documents Team
Dear Sir,
We refer to your e-mail of 03/12/2021 in which you make a request for
access to documents, registered on 10/12/2021 under reference number
GESTDEM 2021/8028.
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 11/01/2022.
An extended time limit is needed in order to finalise the reply to your
request.
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 01/02/2022.
We apologise for this delay and for any inconvenience this may cause.
Yours faithfully,
MARE ACCESS TEAM
Dear Madam, Sir,
I write to you regarding to my access request registered on 10/12/2021 under reference number GESTDEM 2021/8028, and your proposal for an extended time limit to reply.
Article 7 of Regulation 1049/2001 determines that an applicant in principle should be informed of the decision within 15 working days. The extension of the time-limit by another 15 working days is only possible "In exceptional cases, for example in the event of an application relating to a very long document or to a very large number of documents", and only if "the applicant is notified in advance and that detailed reasons are given".
My application concerns one single document, namely a letter. It is thus not "a very large number of documents" and it is unlikely this is "a very long document". I even provided the Ares reference number to facilitate finding it.
My application is therefore in no way an "exceptional case" and I would expect 15 working days should have really been sufficient time to grant access - or make a decision otherwise.
DG MARE has also not provide me with "detailed reasons" why my application should constitute an "exceptional case" and thus why an extension is required.
I would like to point out that today is 5 January, and there is still some time until the original time limit of 11 January. I would propose that DG MARE handles my request by that time. If it does not, and if it fails to provide a detailed reason for why an extension of the deadline is required, I hold the right to submit a confirmatory application.
Sincerely
Peter Teffer
Dear Sir,
You may find attached our reply with regard to your access to documents
request registered under ref. Gestdem 2021/8028.
We kindly ask you to acknowledge receipt of this email containing our
reply to your request.
Kind regards,
MARE ACCESS TEAM
Dear Madam, Sir,
I confirm receipt of your e-mail dated 11 January 2022 and the two disclosed documents, related to my application for registered on 10/12/2021 under reference number GESTDEM 2021/8028. I congratulate DG MARE for handling my application within the time limit of 15 working days, despite your initial expectation that it could not be done.
I have no objection to the redactions of personal data from staff members not pertaining to senior management.
However, I would like to file a confirmatory application regarding the redaction of project names. Please pass this message onto the Secretariat-General to process my confirmatory application.
In both documents, the names of EFF projects have been redacted. These involve projects for which, according to the documents, irregularities have been detected. An irregularity means possible misspending of EU funds, an issue which is of great public interest: "European Union (EU) citizens need to have confidence that the EU budget is being put to proper use." (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/...)
Any exception based on article 4(2) of the access to documents regulation thus is overridden by this greater public interest.
Sincerely,
Peter Teffer
postal address:
Peter Teffer
Ekko Voorkamer
Bemuurde Weerd WZ 3
3513 BH Utrecht
The Netherlands
Link: [1]File-List
Link: [2]Edit-Time-Data
Link: [3]themeData
Link: [4]colorSchemeMapping
Dear Sir,
Thank you for your email dated 12 January 2022 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 MARE in reply to your initial application GESTDEM 2021/8028.
We hereby acknowledge receipt of your confirmatory application for access
to documents which was registered on 14 January 2022 (Ares(2022)273768).
Your application will be handled within 15 working days (04/02/2022). 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 (GD)
[5]cid:image001.png@01D45409.F767C980
European Commission
Secretariat-General
SG C.1
[6][email address]
Link: [1]File-List
Link: [2]Edit-Time-Data
Link: [3]themeData
Link: [4]colorSchemeMapping
[5]Your confirmatory application for access to documents under Regulation
(EC) No 1049/2001 - GESTDEM 2021/8028 - 1st holding letter -
Ares(2022)839290 (Please use this link only if you are an Ares user –
Svp, utilisez ce lien exclusivement si vous êtes un(e) utilisateur d’Ares)
Dear Mr Teffer,
I refer to your email of 12 January 2022, registered on 14 January 2022,
by which you submitted 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 (‘Regulation (EC) No
1049/2001’), registered under reference number above.
Your confirmatory application is currently being handled. Unfortunately,
we have not yet been able to gather all the elements needed to carry out a
full analysis of your request and to take a final decision. Therefore, we
are not in a position to reply to your confirmatory request within the
prescribed time limit which expires on 4 February 2022. Consequently, we
have to extend this period by another 15 working days in accordance with
Article 8(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001. The new deadline expires on
25 February 2022. However, I can assure you that we are doing our utmost
to provide you with a final reply within the next 15 working days.
I regret this additional delay and sincerely apologise for any
inconvenience this may cause.
Yours sincerely,
Mariusz Daca, Ph.D.
Deputy Head of Unit
[6]cid:image001.gif@01D13362.41D673C0
European Commission
Secretariat General
Unit C.1 (Transparency, Document Management and Access to Documents)
References
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1. file:///tmp/cid:filelist.xml@01D819E7.A072FDA0
2. file:///tmp/cid:editdata.mso
3. file:///tmp/~~themedata~~
4. file:///tmp/~~colorschememapping~~
5. https://webgate.ec.testa.eu/Ares/documen...
Dear Mr Daca,
I write to you regarding my access to documents request registered on 10/12/2021 under reference number GESTDEM 2021/8028, and my subsequent confirmatory application for access to documents registered on 14 January 2022 (Ares(2022)273768).
Article 8 of Regulation 1049/2001 clearly states that such confirmatory application should be handled within 15 working days. An extended time-limit is possible only in "exceptional cases [..] provided [..] that detailed reasons are given".
In your message from 4 February 2022, the given reason for a required delay is that the SG has "not yet been able to gather all the elements needed to carry out a full analysis of your request and to take a final decision".
You will agree with me that the simple inability to carry out a requirement from EU law is not sufficient reason to renege on that requirement.
And since you gave exactly the same reply to my confirmatory application for access to documents registered as Ares(2022)271752, also today, I am having doubts believing that indeed these are exceptional cases.
Rather, it seems that the secretariat-general is viewing the extension as a tool it can implement at will, simply because of its organisational failure to reply to confirmatory applications on time.
I would thus ask that you provide concrete detailed reasons why this confirmatory application specifically is so exceptional that an extended time-limit is needed - or to take a final decision without delay.
Sincerely,
Peter Teffer
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
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1. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/...
2. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/...
3. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/...
Dear Mr Peter Teffer, Dear Mr Ekko Voorkamer,
Please find attached the electronic version of Commission Decision
C(2022)998 as adopted by the European Commission on 14.2.2022.
Given the exceptional circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the
formal notification of the decision under Article 297 TFEU is being made
only in electronic form.
Please confirm receipt of the attached document by return e-mail.
Kind regards,
BEVIERE Chantal
European Commission
Secrétariat général de la Commission – Greffe B-2
Procédures écrites, habilitations, délégations et transmissions externes
B-1049 Brussels/Belgium
+32 2-295.77.42
[1][email address]
[2]cid:image016.jpg@01D041FE.EC4221C0[3]cid:image017.jpg@01D041FE.EC4221C0[4]cid:image018.jpg@01D041FE.EC4221C0
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References
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2. https://intragate.ec.europa.eu/decide/sep
4. https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/fpfis/wikis...
Dear Mr, Ms
It is very important for us.
Please, could you please acknowledge the receipt of the document enclosed
in the message addressed to you ?
BEVIERE Chantal
European Commission
Secrétariat général de la Commission – Greffe B-2
Procédures écrites, habilitations, délégations et transmissions externes
B-1049 Brussels/Belgium
+32 2-295.77.42
[1][email address]
[2]cid:image016.jpg@01D041FE.EC4221C0[3]cid:image017.jpg@01D041FE.EC4221C0[4]cid:image018.jpg@01D041FE.EC4221C0
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From: SG GREFFE CERTIFICATION <[email address]>
Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2022 12:44 PM
To: [FOI #10321 email]
Cc: CORINALDESI Lorenza (SG) <[email address]>
Subject: C(2022) 998 - Mr Peter Teffer, Mr Ekko Voorkamer
Dear Mr Peter Teffer, Dear Mr Ekko Voorkamer,
Please find attached the electronic version of Commission Decision
C(2022)998 as adopted by the European Commission on 14.2.2022.
Given the exceptional circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the
formal notification of the decision under Article 297 TFEU is being made
only in electronic form.
Please confirm receipt of the attached document by return e-mail.
Kind regards,
BEVIERE Chantal
European Commission
Secrétariat général de la Commission – Greffe B-2
Procédures écrites, habilitations, délégations et transmissions externes
B-1049 Brussels/Belgium
+32 2-295.77.42
[5][email address]
[6]cid:image016.jpg@01D041FE.EC4221C0[7]cid:image017.jpg@01D041FE.EC4221C0[8]cid:image018.jpg@01D041FE.EC4221C0
Your tool | Our help
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. https://intragate.ec.europa.eu/decide/sep
4. https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/fpfis/wikis...
5. mailto:[email address]
6. https://intragate.ec.europa.eu/decide/sep
8. https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/fpfis/wikis...
Dear Mrs Beviere,
I confirm receipt of Commission Decision C(2022)998 regarding my confirmatory application, as well as the wider partial access of the documents.
Many thanks,
Peter Teffer