Under the right of access to documents in the EU treaties, I am hereby requesting access to the travel expenses of Mr G. Kessler (DG BUDG advisor, former General Director of OLAF), E. Bianchi (OLAF Director B), Francesco Albore (OLAF staff member) for the period 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2018 inclusive.

I am looking for documents that contain, for each of the trips, the following information:
- Place of origin and destination, and the amount spent on travel or transportation;
- Exact dates and duration of the trip;
- Amount spent on accommodation;
- Amount spent on subsistence;
- Other information, such as possible miscellaneous costs.

If the travel was by air taxi and a team of people were travelling, please also provide documents with details on the other travellers (at a minimum, names and job titles).

With respect to personal information contained in any documents that you might have, I note that the only information being sought here is the name and surname of the relevant persons, something which is already in the public domain. This request does not seek access to any other personal information such as bank account details. Nor am I requesting data such as the office addresses, signatures or telephone numbers of the abovementioned staff members.

I remain at your disposition to answer any questions or clarifications you might have related to this request.

Thank you in advance.

Yours faithfully,
Barbara Pelo
Slotermeerlaan 133,
1063 Amsterdam,
Netherlands

Secretariat General of the European Commission

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/...

Secretariat General of the European Commission

Dear Madam,
 
Thank you for your e-mail fax dated 02 March 2019. We hereby acknowledge
receipt of your application for access to documents.
 
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 22
March 2019. 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 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 European Commission. For further information
on your rights, please refer to the third party’s privacy policy.
 
We understand that the third party running that website usually publishes
the content of applicants’ correspondence with the European Commission on
that website. This includes the personal data that you may have
communicated to the European 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 your correspondence with the European Commission to be
published on the AsktheEU.org website, you can provide us with an
alternative, private e-mail address for further correspondence. In that
case, the European Commission will send all future electronic
correspondence addressed to you only to that private address.
 
 
Yours faithfully,
 
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
EUROPEAN ANTI-FRAUD OFFICE (OLAF)
Directorate  C: Investigation Support
Unit  C.4 – Legal Advice

Rue Joseph II, 30 • B-1000 Brussels (Belgium)
[1]http://ec.europa.eu/anti_fraud
Our policy regarding personal data protection can be viewed on
[2]http://ec.europa.eu/anti_fraud/about-us/...
 
 
 

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Secretariat General of the European Commission

Dear Ms Pelo,
 
We refer to your requests for access to document dated 02/03/2019 at 6:16
PM and 6:20 PM.   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. 
 
Therefore, we have to extend the time limit with 15 working days in
accordance with Article 7(3) of Regulation (EC) N° 1049/2001 regarding
public access to documents. The new time limit expires on 12/04/2019.
 
We apologize for this delay and for any inconvenience this may cause.
 
Yours faithfully,
 
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
EUROPEAN ANTI-FRAUD OFFICE (OLAF)
Directorate  C: Investigation Support
Unit  C.4 – Legal Advice

Rue Joseph II, 30 • B-1000 Brussels (Belgium)
[1]http://ec.europa.eu/anti_fraud
Our policy regarding personal data protection can be viewed on
[2]http://ec.europa.eu/anti_fraud/about-us/...
 
 
 
 

show quoted sections

Dear Secretariat General of the European Commission,

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

I am filing the following confirmatory application with regards to my access to documents request 'Travel xpenses'.

I am filing the following confirmatory application with regards to my access to documents request. Until now, you have not provided me with an access to these documents that I have asked.

I would like to point out that the European Commission has the good practice of making such kind of data available to the public and publish them et the present website.
There is an overriding interest in disclosing these documents. As such it is important for the general public to be able to hold the EU accountable for its use of EU budget.
While we do not ask for any sensitive personal information such as telephone numbers or individual data.

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

Yours faithfully,

Barbara Pelo

Secretariat General of the European Commission

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Dear Ms Pelo,
 
Please find attached the holding reply sent on 22/03/2019, to both email
addresses used for your initial request.  The holding reply is available
in the website Asktheeu.  In accordance with Article 7(3) of Regulation
(EC) n° 1049/2001 regarding public access to documents, we informed you
that we had to extend the limit with 15 working days, the new time limit
expires on 12/04/2019.  Be sure that your request is currently being
processed and that you will receive a response within the deadline.
 
Yours faithfully,
 
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
EUROPEAN ANTI-FRAUD OFFICE (OLAF)
Directorate  C: Investigation Support
Unit  C.4 – Legal Advice

Rue Joseph II, 30 • B-1000 Brussels (Belgium)
[1]http://ec.europa.eu/anti_fraud
Our policy regarding personal data protection can be viewed on
[2]http://ec.europa.eu/anti_fraud/about-us/...
 
 
 
 

show quoted sections

Secretariat General of the European Commission

1 Attachment

Dear Ms Pelo,
 
Please find herewith the reply to the above mentioned subject.
The paper copy is following by registered post.
 
Yours faithfully,
 
 
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
EUROPEAN ANTI-FRAUD OFFICE (OLAF)
Directorate  C: Investigation Support
Unit  C.4 – Legal Advice

Rue Joseph II, 30 • B-1000 Brussels (Belgium)
[1]http://ec.europa.eu/anti_fraud
Our policy regarding personal data protection can be viewed on
[2]http://ec.europa.eu/anti_fraud/about-us/...
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

References

Visible links
1. http://ec.europa.eu/anti_fraud
2. http://ec.europa.eu/anti_fraud/about-us/...

Secretariat General of the European Commission

This is the correct address to use.
 

Dear Secretariat General of the European Commission,
Please pass this on to the person who reviews confirmatory applications:
Mr Ville ITÄLÄ
Director General OLAF
European Commission
B-1049 BRUXELLES
BELGIUM
Following the reply of 10th of April 2019 I am filing the following confirmatory application with regards to my access to documents request 'Travel xpenses'.
I am filing the following confirmatory application with regards to my access to documents request. Until now, you have not provided me with an access to these documents that I have asked. The access was refused by the reply of 10th of April 2019. It is not justified to invoke the exception of privacy and the integrity of the individual, invoking articles 4(1)(b), (2), (3) of Regulation 1049/2001, articles 3(1), (3), 9(1)(b) of the Regulation 2018/1725.
I would like to point out that the European Commission has the good practice of making such kind of data available to the public and publish them et the present website.
There is an overriding interest in disclosing these documents. As such it is important for the general public to be able to hold the EU accountable for its use of EU budget.
While we do not ask for any sensitive personal information such as telephone numbers or individual data.
Specific purpose in the public interest is demonstrated and the access to these data is necessary and proportionate according to the established practice of EU Institution, giving access to these data at the present website. EU Institutions have to ensure appropriate level of public transparency with regard to the travels of top officials and staff members. The is no reason to assume that the data subject’s legitimate interests might be prejudiced. The information requested is included in the cost statements relating to the official assignments (business trips) of the former Director-General of OLAF, Directors and some other staff members mentioned. The presumption of non-accessibility to OLAF investigation documents is not justified here, since my request concerns business trips and is unrelated with any OLAF secret file.
A full history of my request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.asktheeu.org/en/request/trav...

Yours faithfully,

Barbara Pelo

Secretariat General of the European Commission

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/...

Secretariat General of the European Commission

Dear Ms Pelo,
We refer to your confirmatory applications of 27 April 2019, by which you
requested OLAF to review its decision concerning your requests for public
access to travel expenses of OLAF staff members, and to your complaint
1061/2019/FP to the European Ombudsman.
We have registered your confirmatory applications under the references OCM
(2019)13936 and OCM (2019)13940. Please receive our sincerest apologies
for their late registration, which was due to an administrative error.
Your confirmatory applications are currently being handled with priority.
We will endeavor to reply to you as soon as possible after completing the
necessary inter-service consultations and, if possible, by 5 July 2019.
Yours faithfully,
 
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
EUROPEAN ANTI-FRAUD OFFICE (OLAF)
Directorate  C: Investigation Support
Unit  C.4 – Legal Advice

Rue Joseph II, 30 • B-1000 Brussels (Belgium)
[1]http://ec.europa.eu/anti_fraud
Our policy regarding personal data protection can be viewed on
[2]http://ec.europa.eu/anti_fraud/about-us/...
 
 
 
 
 

References

Visible links
1. http://ec.europa.eu/anti_fraud
2. http://ec.europa.eu/anti_fraud/about-us/...

Secretariat General of the European Commission

1 Attachment

Dear Ms Pelo,
 
Please find enclosed the reply to the above mentioned subject.
The paper copy is following by registered post.
 
Yours faithfully,
 
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
EUROPEAN ANTI-FRAUD OFFICE (OLAF)
Directorate C: Investigation Support
Unit C.4 – Legal Advice

Rue Joseph II, 30 • B-1000 Brussels (Belgium)
[1]http://ec.europa.eu/anti_fraud
Our policy regarding personal data protection can be viewed on
[2]http://ec.europa.eu/anti_fraud/about-us/...
 
 
 
 

References

Visible links
1. http://ec.europa.eu/anti_fraud
2. http://ec.europa.eu/anti_fraud/about-us/...