Data Retention Directive evaluation process documented references, correspondence

The request was partially successful.

Christiana Maria Mauro

Dear Migration and Home Affairs,

Pursuant to Regulation 1049/2001 regarding the right of access to information I wish to request documented references to the Data Retention Directive evaluation process, specifically:

1. agendas, internal notes and draft reports;
2. the opinions of the legal services of the Parliament and the Commission;
3. minutes and conclusions of industry consultation meetings between 2008-2013; and
4. minutes and conclusions of contributing expert groups

Please provide any additional documentation of the evaluation process that may be available under Regulation 1049/2001.

To get a clear and objective picture of the evidence upon which the evaluation was based, a comprehensive set of national data, including written correspondence with the Member States, is also kindly requested.

In the event that any of the requested documents are denied please state the reason and the name and position of the person responsible for the denial.

Yours sincerely,

Christiana Maria Mauro
AK Vorrat

EC ARES NOREPLY, Migration and Home Affairs

[1]Ares(2016)1540909 - RE: Freedom of Information request - Data Retention
Directive evaluation process documented references, correspondence

Sent by HOME ACCESS DOCUMENTS <[DG HOME request email]>. All
responses have to be sent to this email address.
Envoyé par HOME ACCESS DOCUMENTS <[DG HOME request email]> .
Toutes les réponses doivent être effectuées à cette adresse électronique.

Dear Mr / Mrs Christiana Maria Mauro,
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:
[2]http://ec.europa.eu/transparency/regdoc/...

Best regards,
Home Access to documents team
European Commission
Directorate General Home Affairs
1049 Brussels - Belgium

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Sent request to Migration and Home Affairs again.

EC ARES NOREPLY, Migration and Home Affairs

[1]Ares(2016)5926951 - your access to documents request - ref. Gestdem
2016/5772

Sent by HOME ACCESS DOCUMENTS <[DG HOME request email]>. All
responses have to be sent to this email address.
Envoyé par HOME ACCESS DOCUMENTS <[DG HOME request email]> .
Toutes les réponses doivent être effectuées à cette adresse électronique.

Dear Madam,

Thank you for your e-mail dated 11/10/2016.  We hereby acknowledge receipt
of your application for access to documents, which was registered under
reference number GestDem 2016/5772.

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
08/11/2016. 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,

European Commission
DG Migration and Home Affairs
Access to Documents Team.

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Migration and Home Affairs

1 Attachment

Dear Ms Mauro,

Subject:       Your application for access to documents – Ref GestDem No
2016/5772

We refer to your e-mail dated 11/10/2016 in which you make a request for
access to documents, registered the same day under the above mentioned
reference number.

Please be informed that several documents related to the Data Retention
Directive evaluation process are already publically available on the
following internet page:

[1]http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/wha...

The "Evaluation report on the Data Retention Directive" was also published
under the reference COM(2011) 225.

Regarding the documents which were not made public, 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 03/11/2016.

An extended time limit is needed given that your application concerns a
large number of documents held by different Commission services. In order
to retrieve the documents requested, large files have to be examined and
different services must be consulted.

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 24/11/2016.

We apologise for this delay and for any inconvenience this may cause.

Yours faithfully,

HOME D1 Secretariat

 

European Commission
Directorate General Migration and Home Affairs

Unit D1 - Police cooperation and information exchange
LX46 03/020  B-1050 Brussels/Belgium

 

 

 

 

References

Visible links
1. http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/wha...

Migration and Home Affairs

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Migration and Home Affairs

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Christiana Maria Mauro

Dear Migration and Home Affairs,

Please pass this on to the person who reviews confirmatory applications.

RE: GestDem N°2016/5772 - ARES(2016) 6607861

European Commission
Secretary-General
Transparency unit SG-B-4
BERL 5/282
B-1049 Brussels
Belgium

Dear Secretary General,

Following a request for access to documents on 11 October 2016, I am submitting a request for review of the position taken by DG Home in accordance with Article 7(2) of Regulation No 1049/2001 regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents.

Regarding the evaluation of Data Retention Directive 24/2006/EC, which was concluded in 2011, access to documents linked to the evaluation were requested.

The Public Access to Documents Regulation (Regulation 1049/2001) states that “in principle, all documents of the institutions should be accessible to the public.” Thus, the burden is on the institutions to prove to the requisite legal standard that full disclosure of documents would undermine the protection of rights.

In her letter on behalf of the Commission, Ms. Amici explains in relation to the redacted documents that were released that “the necessity of disclosing [personal data] has not been established and/or … it cannot be assumed that such disclosure would not prejudice the legitimate rights of the persons concerned.” The letter does not explain the Commission's reasons for withholding a number of known documents related to the evaluation process including letters, briefings, inter-service consultations, and internal notes. Neither does it offer reasons for withholding the opinions of its legal services.

The lack of transparency during the adoption process of this Directive has given rise to significant concerns about the EU decision making process. Evidence-based assessments were not conducted and debate about the legislative proposal with concerned parties was sacrificed for fast-track procedures. Since its transposition the justification for the stated purpose of the Directive has been more difficult to identify than ever.

To get a suitable, objective and clear picture of the evidence upon which the evaluation was based, the opinions of the legal services of the Parliament and/or the Commission and minutes and conclusions of industry and expert consultations are kindly requested. If the Commission considers restraining access to certain documents justified, kindly provide a suitable explanation for their refusal.

A full history of my request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.asktheeu.org/en/request/data...

Yours faithfully,

Christiana Maria Mauro

Migration and Home Affairs

Dear Madam,

Thank you for your email dated 29/12/2016, 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 HOME in reply to your initial application GESTDEM 2016/5772.

We hereby acknowledge receipt of your confirmatory application for access to documents which was registered on 04/01/2017 (Ares(2017)30170).

Your application will be handled within 15 working days (25/01/2017). 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.
We kindly offer you the possibility to provide us a contact phone number (by email to [email address]), 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,

Carlos Remis
SG.B.4
Transparence
Berl. 05/315

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Migration and Home Affairs

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Migration and Home Affairs

2 Attachments

Redacted documents from the above two replies (on 25 Jan and 14 Feb)
from European Commission to requester.