Lobby meetings and correspondence of Klaus-Dieter Borchardt

The authority would like to / has responded by postal mail to this request.

Dear Energy,

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:

- All minutes/notes and/or related correspondence (both before and after) of all the lobby meetings of DG ENER Director Klaus-Dieter Borchardt from January 2016.

The term "lobby meetings" is defined as all meetings with non-member state government stakeholders, which could include but is not limited to gas industry representatives (lobbyists or perhaps scientists), environmental NGOs, consultants and law firms, think tanks, trade associations. There is a definition found within the code of conduct of the EU Transparency Register.

This request has been submitted following a refusal by DG Energy to answer the first request, which also asked for a list of those meetings, under the assumption that this document would be created when cataloguing the correspondence. Unfortunately, by focusing solely on the not-yet-created list of meetings, neither the response of DG ENER to the initial request, nor the response of the Secretary General to the confirmatory application, addressed the request for minutes and correspondence.

A second request was then submitted on June 5th, registered on 7th June, asking for the minutes and correspondence of all the lobby meetings of DG ENER Director Klaus-Dieter Borchardt from January 2016 (https://www.asktheeu.org/en/request/lobb...). It was followed up by a request on behalf of DG ENER for clarification on the definition on "lobby meetings". Unfortunately, by this point I had already left on annual leave, and was therefore unable to provide the definition (see above) within the time frame given. Subsequently, on 18 Juy, DG ENER closed the request.

Therefore I am resubmitting the request and it should be treated as a new request.

My address is
Corporate Europe Observatory
Mundo B
26 Rue d'Edimbourg
Bruxelles 1050
Belgium

Yours faithfully,

Pascoe Sabido

EC ARES NOREPLY,

[1]Ares(2018)4354700 - RE: access to documents request - Lobby meetings
and correspondence of Klaus-Dieter Borchardt --- Ref. Gestdem 2018/4508

Sent by ve_sg.accessdoc (SG) <[DG ENER request email]>. All responses have
to be sent to this email address.
Envoyé par ve_sg.accessdoc (SG) <[DG ENER request email]>. Toutes les
réponses doivent être effectuées à cette adresse électronique.

Dear Sir,

Thank you for your e-mail dated 22/08/2018.  We hereby acknowledge receipt
of your application for access to documents, which was registered on
23/08/2018 under reference number GestDem 2018/4508.

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
13/09/2018.

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.

Please note also that the European Commission is not responsible for any
possible processing of personal data by the private organisation running
the AsktheEU.org website, through which you have channelled your request.
Please refer to their privacy policy.

Kind Regards,

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

show quoted sections

Dear EC ARES NOREPLY,

By law, I should have received my response already. Please can you inform me when you will provide the relevant information.

Yours sincerely,

Pascoe Sabido

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Dear Mr Sabido,

We refer to your e-mail dated 22/08/2018 in which you make a request for
access to documents, registered on 23/08/2018 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 expired on 13/09/2018.

An extended time limit is needed for thorough analysis as to the
availability of the document requested.

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 04/10/2018.

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

Yours faithfully,

 

 

[1]cid:image001.png@01D03ECB.9741CEE0

European Commission

 

DG Energy
ENER ACCESS DOCUMENTS
Email: [2][email address]

 

 

 

 

References

Visible links
2. mailto:[email address]

Dear Mr Sabido,

A reply is in preparation and has to be approved by the hierarchy, before it may be sent to you.

Best regards,

European Commission
DG Energy
ENER ACCESS DOCUMENTS
Email: [email address]

Dear Energy,

Thank you for the information.

Would you be able to provide me with a deadline, as the two legal deadlines have already passed?

Yours faithfully,

Pascoe Sabido

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Sabido,

I am following up on your request for access to documents dated August
22^nd, registered under the reference GestDem 2018/4508, in which you ask
and explain the following :

- All minutes/notes and/or related correspondence (both before and after)
of all the lobby meetings of DG ENER Director Klaus-Dieter Borchardt from
January 2016.

The term "lobby meetings" is defined as all meetings with non-member state
government stakeholders, which could include but is not limited to gas
industry representatives (lobbyists or perhaps scientists), environmental
NGOs, consultants and law firms, think tanks, trade associations. There is
a definition found within the code of conduct of the EU Transparency
Register.

This request has been submitted following a refusal by DG Energy to answer
the first request, which also asked for a list of those meetings, under
the assumption that this document would be created when cataloguing the
correspondence. Unfortunately, by focusing solely on the not-yet-created
list of meetings, neither the response of DG ENER to the initial request,
nor the response of the Secretary General to the confirmatory application,
addressed the request for minutes and correspondence.

A second request was then submitted on June 5th, registered on 7th June,
asking for the minutes and correspondence of all the lobby meetings of DG
ENER Director Klaus-Dieter Borchardt from January 2016
(https://www.asktheeu.org/en/request/lobb...). It
was followed up by a request on behalf of DG ENER for clarification on the
definition on "lobby meetings". Unfortunately, by this point I had already
left on annual leave, and was therefore unable to provide the definition
(see above) within the time frame given. Subsequently, on 18 Juy, DG ENER
closed the request.

Therefore I am resubmitting the request and it should be treated as a new
request.

As indicated in our reply to your prior access request with reference
Gestdem 2018/1236, whilst the Commission systematically publishes
information about meetings of Members of the Commission, members of
Cabinets and Directors General with organisations and self-employed
individuals, this is not the case for other Commission officials.
Therefore, a list of Director Borchardt’s meetings does not exist, which
means that the related documents are to be looked for and assessed
individually.

 

Your current application concerns a very large number of documents.  As a
consequence, such a detailed analysis cannot be carried out within the
normal time limits set out in Article 7 of Regulation 1049/2001.

 

Article 6(3) nevertheless provides that, in the event of an application
relating to a very large number of documents, the institution concerned
may confer with the applicant informally, with a view to finding a fair
solution. On the basis of this provision, we propose to handle your
application.

 

Moreover, we would kindly ask you to please specify the objective of your
request and your specific interest in the documents requested and we
invite you to narrow down the scope of your request (i.e. the subject
matter(s), companies involved), so as to reduce it to a more manageable
amount of documents. If you so wish we would be happy to meet you in order
to provide further explanations.

 

According to our preliminary estimates and your specific interest in the
documents requested, the DG’s workload and the length and/or complexity of
documents at stake, it would seem that the Commission would be able to
handle approximately 20 to 30 documents within the deadlines provided by
Regulation 1049/2001, counting from your reply to our proposal for a fair
solution.

 

In order to enable us to respect the time-limits of Regulation 1049/2001,
we would therefore ask you for a swift reply to our invitation for a fair
solution, within five working days at the latest, by email to
[1][email address].

 

If you have any questions concerning the invitation, you can contact us by
email at the above-mentioned address.

 

Note that, in accordance with Article 7(2) of Regulation 1049/2001, you
are entitled to make a confirmatory application requesting the Commission
to review this position. 

Such a confirmatory application should be addressed within 15 working days
upon receipt of this email to the Secretary-General of the Commission at
the following address:

European Commission

Secretary-General

Transparency unit SG-B-4

BERL 5/282

B-1049 Bruxelles

or by email to: [2][DG ENER request email]

Yours sincerely,

 

 

[3]cid:image001.png@01D03ECB.9741CEE0

European Commission

 

DG Energy
ENER ACCESS DOCUMENTS
Email: [4][email address]

 

 

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. mailto:[DG ENER request email]
4. mailto:[email address]

Dear Energy,

Thank you for your response.

This puts me in a very difficult position.

In order to know which 20-30 documents I would like, I would need to see a list of those you have found, and I can then pick the 20-30. I do have in mind some key things, but I am also very aware that I don't want overly narrow the search, nor duplicate what I have already (e.g. the documents already provided here, which already does some of the work https://www.asktheeu.org/en/request/meet...).

I look forward to the list.

Yours faithfully,

Pascoe Sabido

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/...

Dear Energy,

Please can you let me know the status of this request.

Yours faithfully,

Pascoe Sabido

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/...

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Sabido,

I am following up on your request for access to documents dated 22 August 2018, registered under the reference GestDem 2018/4508, in which you asked the following:

- All minutes/notes and/or related correspondence (both before and after) of all the lobby meetings of DG ENER Director Klaus-Dieter Borchardt from January 2016.

Please find attached the list of documents identified during our search for your request.

As mentioned in our fair solution proposal, please have a look at the attached list and select maximum 20 to 30 documents that could fit in the scope of your request.

We will then handle your request in the shortest possible time.

Best regards,

European Commission
DG ENERGY – Access to documents team
Email: [email address]

Dear Energy,

Thank you for the list. If it is OK by you, I will give a first selection of 20-30, and then follow up, using the same A2D request, for another batch.

The first 28:

Ares(2017)3187970 AW: Letter from the CCE to President Juncker concerning current initiatives of the European Commission in the energy field
Ares(2016)1024798 TEN-E Regulation Art 13 regarding the publication of the methodology
Ares(2016)1264651 Eurogas perspectives on the “New Deal for Energy Consumers”
Ares(2016)1921567 Field study on technical assistance for the financial structuring of a PCI in Ireland
Ares(2016)1953697 A new structure for electricity and gas DSO cooperation at EU level
Ares(2016)249455 R/FW: Letter to Commissioner Arias Canete on "Biogas and Bio-methane"
Ares(2016)2707930 Proposal on unbundling of the gas transmission system operator (TSO unbundling).
Ares(2016)3727225 R/Proposal on unbundling of the gas transmission system operator (TSO unbundling).
Ares(2016)3975973 New Energy Market Design
Ares(2016)4522907 A - Letter on inclusion of gas DSOs in possible EU DSO group - ON ENERGY MARKET DESIGN
Ares(2016)6083424 A-Energy Market Design - A letter from Eurogas
Ares(2016)6729035 Pre-invitation - "Save the date - New Year's concert 2017".
Ares(2016)7163927 Steering Group Participation: Quo Vadis EU gas market regulatory framework
Ares(2016)789659 R/ Gas package Wärme- und Kältestrategie
Ares(2016)854858 Eurogas perspectives on the “New Deal for Energy Consumers”
Ares(2017)2017680 Clean Energy Package in the French regulator's office
Ares(2017)2323910 Clean Energy Package in the French regulator's office
Ares(2017)2687805 KDB to MEP request for a meeting on LEC
Ares(2017)3185614 Letter from the President of Eurogas to President Juncker transmitting Eurogas Views on aspects of Electricity Legislation in relation to the Mirroring Exercise: hope to move forward with Clean Energy Package (CEP)
Ares(2017)3297831 IFIEC Europe-Suggestions and amendment proposals on the Clean Energy Package
Ares(2017)3616176 IFIEC Europe-Suggestions and amendment proposals on the Clean Energy Package
Ares(2017)3647850 FW: All TSOs process Draft _Letter to EC
Ares(2017)55694 Follow-up of a multilateral meeting on the Norwegian Gas Corridor in Brussels
Ares(2018)1963190 Studie der Green Gas Initiative für Madrid Forum
Ares(2018)291754 Reply to -Letter of GD4S coalition on the draft amendments to the Romanian Energy Law approving the emergency ordinance 64/2016
Ares(2018)3284541 CESEC-High Level Konferenz_OMV Hintergrundinfo
Ares(2018)4033809 Finalization and mutual harmonization of all interconnection agreements between our companies
Ares(2018)4910702 Horizon Europe/CEF: the contribution of the HYDROGEN sector

Yours faithfully,

Pascoe Sabido

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/...

ENER-ACCES-DOCUMENTS@ec.europa.eu, Energy

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Sabido,

 

Please find attached the reply to your request for access to documents,
registered under reference GestDem 2018/4508.

The annexes are too voluminous to be sent by email.

The original letter and annexes has been sent to you by post. Please
confirm that the postal address used in the letter is still correct.

 

According to standard operational procedure, the reply is usually also
sent to you by registered post. Please note, however, that due to the
extraordinary health and security measures currently in force during to
the COVID-19 epidemics, we are unfortunately not in a position to follow
this procedure until further notice.

 

We would therefore appreciate if you could confirm receipt of the present
e-mail by replying to [1][Emailadresse]

 

Best regards,

 

European Commission

DG ENERGY – Access to documents team

Email: [2][Emailadresse]

 

References

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1. mailto:[Emailadresse]
2. mailto:[Emailadresse]

Dear [email address],

I can confirm that the address is indeed still the same one as when the request was submitted.

Yours sincerely,

Pascoe Sabido