Tech panel

The request was partially successful.

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:

All documents, including but not limited to notes, presentations, minutes, emails, member lists and attendance lists, related to the "panel with tech leaders from different backgrounds and expertise" which has been set up and held a first meeting in Brussels in June, as referred to by VP Mogherini in her speech in the European Parliament on Tuesday 11 September 2018.

All the best,
Peter Teffer

postal address:
EUobserver
Rue Montoyer 18B
1000 Brussels
Belgium

PS: When sending physical mail, please include the word 'EUobserver' on the envelope

EEAS ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS, European External Action Service

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Teffer,

 

This message is an acknowledgement of receipt for your requests for access
to documents under Regulation 1049/2001 regarding public access to
European Parliament, Council and Commission documents (which the EEAS is
also respecting).

 

Your requests for access to documents have been registered under reference
number: 2018/134

Please refer to this number in any further correspondence.

 

In accordance with the Regulation, you will receive a reply within 15
working days: 5/10/2018.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

EEAS ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS (AD)

[1][EEAS request email]

SG.AFFGEN.2 – Parliamentary Affairs

 

[2]cid:image001.png@01D378AC.BC275A40

 

 

References

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1. mailto:[EEAS request email]

EEAS ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS, European External Action Service

4 Attachments

Dear Mr Teffer,

On behalf of Mr Visentin please find attached the reply to your request for access to documents.

Yours sincerely,

EEAS ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS (AD)
[EEAS request email]
SG.AFFGEN.2 – Parliamentary Affairs

Dear Madam, Sir,

Thanks for your reply to my access to documents request, which had been registered under reference number: 2018/134. However, I am unsatisfied and would like to file a confirmatory application. Please forward this message to the person dealing with such applications.

The EEAS wrote that “there are no minutes nor reports of the meetings of the Global Tech Panel since the discussions take place in camera”. I find this difficult to believe.

Firstly, because I cannot see how any group having discussions can meet without taking notes or minutes. Moreover, a press release on the EEAS website specifically said: “The Global Tech Panel is set to feed into the EU Strategy on Artificial Intelligence the European Commission will put forward in November.” (https://eeas.europa.eu/topics/economic-r...) How can the panel feed into the EU strategy on artificial intelligence, when there are no minutes or reports of the meetings? So some documents must exist.

Please note that I asked for “All documents, including but not limited to notes, presentations, minutes, emails, member lists and attendance lists”, which means that my request involves all written records of the Global Tech Panel meetings, no matter whether they are labelled as 'minutes' or something else.

Secondly, even if discussions are taken place in camera, this does not mean automatically that no documents exist. And even if the EEAS had reason to withhold documents – which it could only do if it were in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 – it would as a minimum have to acknowledge the existence of those documents.

Finally, the tech panel has all the characteristics of an expert group, for which specific rules exist that require "timely publication of minutes".

Sincerely,
Peter Teffer
EUobserver
Rue Montoyer 18B
1000 Brussels
Belgium

PS: When sending physical mail, please include the word 'EUobserver' on the envelope

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

EEAS ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS, European External Action Service

Dear Mr Teffer,

This message is an acknowledgement of receipt for your confirmatory application requesting for a review of our reply dated 5.10.2018 under Regulation 1049/2001 regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents (which the EEAS is also respecting).

Your confirmatory application has the same reference number 2018/134 as the initial one. Please refer to this number in any further correspondence.

In accordance with the Regulation, you will receive a reply within 15 working days.
Yours sincerely,

EEAS Access to Documents
[EEAS request email]
SG.AFFGEN.2 – Parliamentary Affairs

EEAS ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS, European External Action Service

Dear Mr Teffer,

Our services are still examining your request for access to documents, exceptionally, we need to extend the deadline for reply by additional 15 working days in accordance with Article 8.2 of Regulation 1049/2001 for the reply to be adequately validated.

Thank you for your understanding.

Yours faithfully,

EEAS ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS
[email address]
SG.AFFGEN.2 – Parliamentary Affairs

EEAS ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS, European External Action Service

5 Attachments

Dear Mr Teffer,

 

On behalf of Mr Di Vita please find attached the reply to your
confirmatory request for access to documents.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

EEAS Access to Documents (AD)

[1][email address]

SG.AFFGEN.2 – Parliamentary Affairs

 

 

 

 

References

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1. mailto:[email address]