Ref. Ares(2019)7150960 - 19/11/2019
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR INTERNAL MARKET, INDUSTRY, ENTREPRENEURSHIP
AND SMES
The Director-General
Brussels,
GROW/03/LB
By registered letter with acknowledgment
of receipt:
Mr Bram Vranken
Vredesactie
Patriottenstraat 27, 2600 Berchem
Belgium
Advance copy by email:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx
Subject:
Your application for access to documents – Ref GestDem No
2019/6092
Dear Mr Vranken,
I refer to the request for access to documents, which you have sent via the AsktheEU.org website
and which was registered on 25/10/2019 under the above mentioned reference number.
You requested access to “- All documents -including but not limited- to e-mails, minutes, reports,
etc. - relating to meetings with representatives of individual companies, including lobby
consultancies and law firms, and/or industry associations on the establishment of DG Defence
Industry and Space.
- all correspondence (including emails) between DG Growth officials and/or representatives
(including the Commissioner and the Cabinet) and representatives of individual companies
(including lobby consultancies and law firms) and/or industry associations, relating to the
establishment of the DG Defence Industry and Space.”
In response to your request I would like to clarify that the Commission does not discuss its
institutional or organisational matters with external stakeholders.
I can confirm you that, to date, the Directorate General for Internal Market, Industry,
Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW) including the Commissioner and the Cabinet, has not
held any meetings with representatives of individual companies, including lobby consultancies
and law firms, and/or industry associations on the establishment of the DG Defence Industry and
Space.
In accordance with Article 2(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001, the right of access to
documents of the institutions applies only to existing documents in the possession of an
institution. Based on above, I regret to inform you that DG GROW does not possess any
Commission européenne/Europese Commissie, 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel, BELGIQUE/BELGIË - Tel. +32 22991111
Office: BREY 14/110 - Tel. direct line +32 229 57995
document containing the requested information. Therefore, DG GROW is not in a position to
fulfil your request.
In accordance with Article 7(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001, you are entitled to make a
confirmatory application requesting the Commission to review this position.
Such a confirmatory application should be addressed within 15 working days upon receipt of this
letter to the Secretariat-General of the Commission at the following address:
European Commission
Secretariat-General
Unit C.1. ‘Transparency, Document Management and Access to Documents’
BERL 7/076
B-1049 Bruxelles, or by email to:
xxxxxxxxxx@xx.xxxxxx.xx
Yours sincerely,
e-signed
Timo PESONEN
2
Electronically signed on 19/11/2019 17:00 (UTC+01) in accordance with article 4.2 (Validity of electronic documents) of Commission Decision 2004/563