Visit of MEPs Pittella and Kyenge to Democratic Republic of Congo

European Parliament did not have the information requested.

Dear European Parliament,

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/correspondence related to:

- the below visit of president of the group of Socialists and Democrates on the European Parliament, Gianni Pittella, and the vice president of the parliamentary committee in Brussels EU / Africa-Caribbean-Pacific, Cécile Kyenge to the Democratic Republic of Congo

- documents that show proof, like positions/decisions taken on the subject, that justify that MEPs use their powers to lobby for the resumption of stalled intercountry adoptions in Congo (or elsewhere) .

Source: http://www.ansa.it/europa/notizie/rubric...

Congo: Pittella and Kyenge, from Kinshasa commitment that are adoptions ok
Mission of the S & D in the African country
(Google translation)
08 April 2015

BRUSSELS - "Adoptions in Congo may soon resume. By the Prime Minister Augustin Matata Ponyo and the Congolese Minister of Justice, Alexis Thambwe Mwamba, we were reassured about the government's desire to deblock and facilitate the process of adoptions stopped from 2013." This states in a joint statement the president of the group of Socialists and Democrates on the European Parliament, Gianni Pittella, and the vice president of the parliamentary committee in Brussels EU / Africa-Caribbean-Pacific, Cécile Kyenge, at the end of a meeting in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, with the Prime Minister and the Minister of Justice Congolese. "Good news for the many families waiting for answers from the authorities in Kinshasa. For our part - continue Pittella and Kyenge - a commitment to follow the evolution of an issue so sensitive, doing everything we can in terms of political and diplomatic tems because the will of the minister is to turn into concrete measures and reform in favor of the right of families and of Congolese children to have a serene adoptive situation and ideal for growth " .

Yours faithfully,

Arun Dohle

Registre, European Parliament

1 Attachment

 

Dear Sir

 

European Parliament acknowledges receipt of your request, which will be
processed as quickly as possible. You will receive a reply within 15
working days.

 

Kind regards,

 

 

 

 

[1]EP-logo-EN TRANSPARENCY- ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS
EPRS - European Parliamentary Research
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[2]Public Register webpage

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References

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Arun Dohle left an annotation ()

Time limit: 17 February 2016

Registre, European Parliament

1 Attachment

OUR REF : A(2016)1093

 

 

Dear Mr Dole

 

Further to your request regarding the visit of MEPs Pitella and Kyange to
Democratic Republic of Congo, please find here after the information we
are able to provide:

• The purpose of the visit:

"From 7 to 12 April 2015, a delegation of S&D MEPs, led by the President
Gianni Pittella, visited the Democratic Republic of Congo (RDC) to meet
with the DRC Government and officials, the Sakharov Prize Laureate Dr
Mukwege, as well as civil society and business representatives working in
the fields of human rights, democracy and the fight against conflict
minerals.
 
The S&D Group has made violence against women and the banning of conflict
minerals a top priority of its political action in the European
Parliament. The aim of the fact-finding mission was to grasp the reality
faced by victims of war and violence, and to better understand how the
European Union can help local communities overcome 20 years of civil war.

This visit is the first of a series of fact-finding missions fully
integrated in the Group's new strategic approach to Africa."

 

• the detailed programme of the visit :

 

[1]http://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/sit...

 

• and the link to the general information about the different meetings
of the delegation :

 

[2]http://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/gia...

 

The meeting with the Minister of Justice of Congo was a private initiative
of the Italian members and therefore the European Parliament does not hold
any documents or information about it.

Regarding MEPs positions on intercountry adoptions, please see the link
below :

[3]http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegistreWe...

Kind regards

 

 

[4]EP-logo-EN TRANSPARENCY- ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS
EPRS - European Parliamentary Research
Service
Directorate for the Library
 
[5]Public Register webpage

 [6][email address]  
 
 

 

 

 

References

Visible links
1. http://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/sit...
2. http://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/gia...
3. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegistreWe...
5. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegWeb/app...
6. mailto:[email address]

Dear European Parliament,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of European Parliament's handling of my FOI request 'Visit of MEPs Pittella and Kyenge to Democratic Republic of Congo'.

I do not consider the reply that was provided as satisfactory.
The link directs to opinions of MEPs, Written Questions, and not to a position that would instruct/allow the MEPs to lobby for resumption of adoptions in Congo.

So, I did not receive access to documents that would instruct/allow the two Italian MEPs to lobby for resumption of intercountry adoptions, or the finalising of "pipe-line" cases.

I note your opinion that the meeting with the Minister of Justice of Congo (and the Prime Minister?) was a private initiative of the Italian members and therefore the European Parliament does not hold any documents or information about it.

I do not completely understand how meetings with foreign officials during official visits can be defined as "private". Especially not if media is reporting that "a joint statement was given by the
president of the group of Socialists and Democrates on the European Parliament, Gianni Pittella, and the vice president of the parliamentary committee in Brussels EU / Africa-Caribbean-Pacific,
Cécile Kyenge, at the end of a meeting in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, with the Prime Minister and the Minister of Justice Congolese".

I kindly request you to review this request and to provide documents that show that the MEPs were acting solely in the public interest and conducted their work with disinterest, integrity, openness, diligence, honesty, accountability and respect for the institution's reputation.

Also I would be grateful if you could indicate the complaint procedure I could use, in case I would consider the reply to this appeal also unsatisfactory.

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

Yours faithfully,

Arun Dohle

Registre, European Parliament

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Dohle,

 

In accordance with Article 8(3) of the European Parliament's Bureau
Decision of 28 November 2001 (OJ C 216, 22.7.2011, p. 19), you are kindly
invited to provide us with your postal address with a view to permitting
Parliament's competent authority to duly communicate the decision
concerning your request to you.

 

Indeed, pursuant to Article 297(2) (3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of
the European Union, notification by registered letter is required in order
to ensure legal certainty as regards due notification of Parliament's
decision.

 

Until reception of this information, Parliament is not in a position to
notify the reply to you.

 

We thank you for your cooperation.

 

Kind regards

 

 

 

 

[1]EP-logo-EN TRANSPARENCY- ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS
EPRS - European Parliamentary Research
Service
Directorate for the Library
 
[2]Public Register webpage

 [3][email address]  
 
 

 

 

 

 

References

Visible links
2. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegWeb/app...
3. mailto:[email address]

Dear Registre,

As requested, please see below:

Yours sincerely,

Arun Dohle

Arun Dohle
Viktoriastr. 46
52066 Aachen
Germany

Dear Registre,

This is to let you know that the time limit of 15 days has expired.

I would welcome a reply to my confirmatory appeal.

Yours sincerely,

Arun Dohle

Registre, European Parliament

OUR REF A(2016)1093

Dear Mr Dohle,

The 15 working days deadline to reply to your application expired on 29 February. Nevertheless Parliament is still examining the different elements relevant to your request. Therefore we need to extend the deadline by additional 15 working days, in accordance with Article 7(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001.

We apologize for an any inconvenience.

Best regards

TRANSPARENCY – ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS
EPRS | European Parliamentary Research Service
Directorate for the Library

[email address]

Arun Dohle left an annotation ()

Extended time limit of confirmatory appeal: 21 March 2016

Dear Registre,

Thank you for the reply which I received by registered mail.

Kindly make the letter available here too, so that the public at large has access to it.

Yours sincerely,

Arun Dohle

Dear Registre,

The time limit of 15 days has expired. Please make the document available on Ask the EU, failing which I will consider making a complaint to the European Ombudsman.

Yours sincerely,

Arun Dohle

AccesDocs, European Parliament

1 Attachment

OUR REF A (2016)1093

 

Dear Mr Dohle,

 

Parliament was informed of your complaint to the Ombudsman (ref. n°
1189/2016/JN) and would like to draw your kind attention to the following.

 

By letter of 17 March 2016, Parliament replied to your application under
Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001, confirming that it was not in possession of
the documents you requested. Parliament’s letter followed previous email
correspondence by which you were already informed that the documents in
question do not exist.

 

On 29 March 2016, you acknowledged receipt of the said letter and
requested Parliament to publish it on the Asktheeu.org website.

 

In response, Parliament would like to inform you that uploading documents
on external websites falls outside its remit. Therefore, unfortunately,
Parliament cannot accede to your request.

 

Nevertheless, it is in your possibility, as the addressee and owner of the
letter received from the Institution, to make it publicly available on
whatever online platform you wish.

 

Best regards

 

 

 

[1]EP-logo-EN TRANSPARENCY – ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS
PRES | Directorate General for the
Presidency

Directorate for Interinstitutional
Affairs and Legislative Coordination
 

[2]Public Register Webpage

[3][email address]
 
 

 

References

Visible links
2. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegWeb/app...
3. mailto:[email address]