Ref. Ares(2020)2723120 - 26/05/2020
AFFGEN.2
Head of Division
Brussels, 26 May 2020
eeas.sg.affgen.2 (2020) 3018245
Mr Alexander Fanta
Subject: Your request for access to documents of 27 April 2020
Our ref: 2020/050
Dear Mr Fanta,
Thank you for your request for access to documents, which the EEAS has examined in the
framework of Regulation (EC) No 1049/20011.
After a search in the EEAS filing systems, the document management databases and
archives, the EEAS has identified the following documents matching your request, as
referenced hereafter:
1. Draft: EEAS SPECIAL REPORT UPDATE: Short Assessment of Narratives and
Disinformation around the COVID-19/Coronavirus Pandemic, 20 April 2020
(various iterations and versions)
2. EEAS SPECIAL REPORT UPDATE: Short Assessment of Narratives and
Disinformation around the COVID-19/Coronavirus Pandemic, 24 April 2020
Following our examination of the documents above, I am pleased to forward to you the link
to document 2
: https://euvsdisinfo.eu/eeas-special-report-update-2-22-april/
I take this opportunity to remind you that the documents provided may not be copied or
reproduced for commercial purposes without prior consultation with the EEAS.
Concerning the document 1, our examination concluded that draft working versions of
Special report update: Short Assessment of Narratives and Disinformation around the
COVID-19/Coronavirus Pandemic cannot be disclosed. The versions contain opinions,
reflections, views, positions and assessments for internal use as part of deliberations and
1 Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council regarding public access to
European Parliament, Council and Commission documents (hereafter the "Regulation").
European External Action Service – B-1046 Brussels – Belgium – Tel.: (32-2) 584 11 11
Office: EEAS PARC 06/560 – e-
mail: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxx.xxxxxx.xx
preliminary consultations within the institution. Public release of the working drafts of the
report would seriously undermine the decision-making process as it would offer insight in
the information available, the relative weight to be attributed to the information elements
and the processes used to come to the determination of a final position to be reflected in the
report. As regards “public security”, the various iterations of the draft report might reveal
the criteria used to determine the threat to public security of disinformation items. As
regards international relations, the iterations might reveal the level of knowledge of the
originators of the disinformation and the nature of their affiliation with the authorities in
third countries. As the report therefore contains assessments relevant to public security as
well as international relations, public accessibility of the deliberations and consultations
would severely curtail the possibilities of future processing of such assessments.
Therefore, I regret to inform you that we are not in a position to disclose this document at
this point in time, neither as a whole or partially, since it would undermine the EU’s public
security and international relations, as per Article 4(1) (a) 1st and 3rd indent of the
Regulation, as well as the EEAS decision-making process as per Article 4(3) of the
Regulation.
Should you wish this position to be reviewed, you may confirm your initial request within
15 working days.
Yours sincerely,
[e-signed]
Gabriele Visentin
Electronically signed on 26/05/2020 15:31 (UTC+02) in accordance with article 4.2 (Validity of electronic documents) of Commission Decision 2004/563
2
