Ref. Ares(2019)5809027 - 17/09/2019
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR HEALTH AND FOOD SAFETY
Resource management and better regulation
Better regulation
Brussels,
SANTE.A.1/CG
Dear Ms Down
Subject:
Your application for access to documents – Ref GestDem No 2019/5140
We refer to your e-mail dated 4 September 2019 in which you make a request for access
to documents, registered on the same date under the above-mentioned reference number.
In your application, you request the following:
(1) all details, correspondence and minutes relating to meetings between DG
SANTE and Everis since 1 May 2013;
(2) all contracts made between DG SANTE and Everis since 1 May 2013;
(3) all details, correspondence and minutes relating to meetings between DG
SANTE and representatives of ATOS, De La Rue, IBM, Honeywell, Allexis, and
other companies involved in the secure printing industry or IT solutions for
traceability since 1 May 2013.
After consulting internally, we have come to the conclusion that the description given in
your application does not enable us to identify concrete documents which would correspond
to your request under point (3).
We therefore invite you, pursuant to Article 6(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001, to
provide us with more detailed information on the documents you are seeking access to. In
particular, we would like you to clarify the meaning of the sentence ‘other companies
involved in the secure printing industry or IT solutions for traceability since 1 May
2013’. Further, we would like you to confirm that with “representatives” (of those
companies) you refer to someone belonging to the above-mentioned organisations.
In fact, we are not in a position to identify which ‘other companies’ might fall under the
scope of your request. The term traceability in your request may have different meanings,
depending on the context and policy area in which it is used. We would be grateful if you
could clarify how we should apprehend it, so that we can search our files (and respond to
your query) as precisely as possible.
By email only to: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx Commission européenne/Europese Commissie, 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel, BELGIQUE/BELGIË - Tel. +32 22991111
Further information, such as references, dates or periods during which the documents would
have been produced, persons or bodies who drafted the documents, policy/administrative
area etc. could further help us to identify the relevant documents.
If you need assistance in clarifying or specifying your application, you can contact us by
email to
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xx.xxxxxx.xx.
In accordance with Article 2, third paragraph of the Implementing Rules to Regulation (EC)
No 1049/20011, the 15 working days time limit for handling your application will start
running when we receive the requested clarifications.
In light of the wide temporal scope of your request (2013-2019) under
points one and two,
please note that DG SANTE still reserves itself the right to make a fair solution proposal, in
the event that your request might relate to a very large number of documents in accordance
with Article 6.3 of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001. In this respect, we would appreciate if
you could already specify specific years or policy/administrative issues you are particularly
interested in, so that we can first focus the search on those years or policy/administrative
issues.
Thank you in advance for your understanding.
Yours sincerely,
(e-signed)
Carmen GARAU
Head of Unit
1
Official Journal L 345 of 29.12.2001, p. 94.
2
Electronically signed on 17/09/2019 13:59 (UTC+02) in accordance with article 4.2 (Validity of electronic documents) of Commission Decision 2004/563