Ref. Ares(2023)169150 - 11/01/2023
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
DIRECTORATE-GENERAL
CLIMATE ACTION
Directorate A – Strategy, Analysis and Planning
CLIMA.A.4 – Administration, Financial Affairs & Human Resources
Brussels
CLIMA.A.4
Lora Verheecke
9 rue du Bronze
1070, Brussels
Belgium
Advance copy by email
: ask+request-
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx
Subject:
Your application for access to documents 2022/7197
Dear Ms Verheecke,
We refer to your request for access to European Commission documents registered on
12.11.2022 under the above-mentioned reference number.
You request access to
all documentation (including but not limited to all email
correspondence, attendance lists, agendas, background papers, transcripts and recordings)
AND the meeting minutes/notes relating to the meeting between Antoine Colombani and
Veolia on 25th October 2022.
Your application concerns the following documents:
Invitation with Cercle des Réseaux_25.10.2022_redacted, registered on 01/07/2022,
reference Ares(2022)4822141
With regard to the document listed above, a complete disclosure of the identified documents
is prevented by the exception concerning the protection of privacy and the integrity of the
individual outlined in Article 4(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001, because they
contain the following personal data:
– the names/initials and contact information of Commission staff members not pertaining
to the senior management;
– the names/initials and contact details of other natural persons.
Article 9(1)(b) of the Data Protection Regulation does not allow the transmission of these
personal data, except if you prove that it is necessary to have the data transmitted to you
for a specific purpose in the public interest and where there is no reason to assume that
Commission européenne/Europese Commissie, 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel, BELGIQUE/BELGIË – Tel. +32 22991111
Office: BRE2 14/DCS – Tel. direct line +32 229-90339
the legitimate interests of the data subject might be prejudiced. In your request, you do not
express any particular interest to have access to these personal data nor do you put forward
any arguments to establish the necessity to have the data transmitted for a specific purpose
in the public interest.
Consequently, I conclude that, pursuant to Article 4(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No
1049/2001, access cannot be granted to the personal data contained in the requested
documents, as the need to obtain access thereto for a purpose in the public interest has not
been substantiated and there is no reason to think that the legitimate interests of the
individuals concerned would not be prejudiced by disclosure of the personal data concerned.
Please note that documents 3, 4, 5, originating from third parties are disclosed to you
based on Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001. However, this disclosure is without prejudice
to the rules on intellectual property, which may limit your right to reproduce or exploit
the released documents without the agreement of the originator, who may hold an
intellectual property right on them. The European Commission does not assume any
responsibility from their reuse.
Document 6 was drawn up for internal use under the responsibility of the relevant service
of Executive Vice President Frans Timmermans’ Cabinet. It solely reflects the service’s
interpretation of the interventions made and does not set out any official position of the
third parties to which the document refers, which was not consulted on its content. It does
not reflect the position of the Commission and cannot be quoted as such.
In case you would disagree with this position, you are entitled, in accordance with Article
7(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001, to submit a confirmatory application requesting the
Commission to review this position.
Such a confirmatory application should be addressed to the Secretariat-General of the
Commission within 15 working days upon receipt of this letter. You can submit it in one of
the following ways:
by asking for a review via your portal1 account (available only for initial requests
submitted via the portal account),
or by mail:
European Commission
Secretariat-General
Transparency,
Document
Management
&
Access
to
Documents
(SG.C.1)
BERL 7/076
B-1049 Bruxelles
or by email to: xxxxxxxxxx@xx.xxxxxx.xx
Yours faithfully,
Electronically signed
Rudy VAN HORENBEEK
Head of Unit
1
https://www.ec.europa.eu/transparency/documents-request
2
Electronically signed on 10/01/2023 16:55 (UTC+01) in accordance with Article 11 of Commission Decision (EU) 2021/2121