Campaign on X
Alexander Fanta a fait une demande de Accès à l'information à Bureau européen d’appui en matière d’asile
Dear European Union Agency for Asylum,
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 concerning a recent social media campaign by EUAA on Twitter/X. This is meant to include documents containing information about how many ads were booked, total spending, and targeting of the ads. The request is meant to cover any social media campaign since 1 January 2024, and shall cover e-mails, receipts, internal memos, etc.
Yours faithfully,
Alexander Fanta
Follow the Money
Rue Auguste Orts 2
Bruxelles
Dear Mr Fanta,
Reference is made to your below correspondence of 24 May 2024.
We hereby acknowledge receipt of your application for access to documents
under Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001, which was registered under reference
number 003882 on 29 May 2024.
In accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 regarding public access to
European Parliament, Council and Commission documents and Decision No 6 of
the Management Board of EASO laying down practical arrangements regarding
public access to documents of EASO (now EUAA), your application will be
handled within 15 working days from the day of registration.
The (initial) time limit is set to expire on 20 June 2024. In case this
time limit needs to be extended, you will be informed in due course.
Yours sincerely,
European Union Agency for Asylum
Email: [1][EUAA request email]
Website: [2]https://euaa.europa.eu
Disclaimer: Please be informed that the easo.europa.eu domain is being
phased out. Please update your contact records with the EUAA domain name.
Dear Mr Fanta,
Reference is made to your application for access to documents under
Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 as registered under reference number 003882
on 29 May 2024.
Please note that your application is currently being handled by the EUAA
in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 and the Agency’s
Management Board Decision No 6. However, the EUAA will not be in a
position to complete the handling of your application within the initial
time-limit of 15 working days, which was due to expire on 20 June 2024.
An extended time-limit is needed given that additional administrative
efforts are required in terms of, inter alia, carrying out consultations,
identifying all relevant documents, thoroughly examining their contents
and making comprehensive assessments against Article 4 of Regulation (EC)
No 1049/2001 - in order to be able to duly process your request in the
most diligent manner in accordance with the principle of good
administration.
In light of the above, the Agency has decided to extend the time-limit by
an additional 15 working days in accordance with Article 7(3) of
Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001. The new time limit is due to expire on 11
July 2024. Nonetheless, the Agency strives to get back to you as swiftly
as possible.
Yours sincerely,
European Union Agency for Asylum
Email: [1][EUAA request email]
Website: [2]https://euaa.europa.eu
From: Public Access To Documents Mailbox <[EUAA request email]>
Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2024 4:01 PM
To: Alexander Fanta <[FOI #14592 email]>
Subject: RE: access to documents request - Campaign on X
Dear Mr Fanta,
Reference is made to your below correspondence of 24 May 2024.
We hereby acknowledge receipt of your application for access to documents
under Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001, which was registered under reference
number 003882 on 29 May 2024.
In accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 regarding public access to
European Parliament, Council and Commission documents and Decision No 6 of
the Management Board of EASO laying down practical arrangements regarding
public access to documents of EASO (now EUAA), your application will be
handled within 15 working days from the day of registration.
The (initial) time limit is set to expire on 20 June 2024. In case this
time limit needs to be extended, you will be informed in due course.
Yours sincerely,
European Union Agency for Asylum
Email: [3][EUAA request email]
Website: [4]https://euaa.europa.eu
Disclaimer: Please be informed that the easo.europa.eu domain is being
phased out. Please update your contact records with the EUAA domain name.
Dear Mr Fanta,
Kindly find enclosed a letter from Ms Nina Gregori, Executive Director of
the EUAA, in response to your application for access to documents under
Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001.
Best regards,
European Union Agency for Asylum
Email: [1][EUAA request email]
Website: [2]https://euaa.europa.eu
Disclaimer: Please be informed that the easo.europa.eu domain is being
phased out. Please update your contact records with the EUAA domain name.
From: Public Access To Documents Mailbox <[EUAA request email]>
Sent: Wednesday, June 19, 2024 4:39 PM
To: Alexander Fanta <[FOI #14592 email]>
Cc: Public Access To Documents Mailbox <[EUAA request email]>
Subject: RE: access to documents request - Campaign on X
Dear Mr Fanta,
Reference is made to your application for access to documents under
Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 as registered under reference number 003882
on 29 May 2024.
Please note that your application is currently being handled by the EUAA
in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 and the Agency’s
Management Board Decision No 6. However, the EUAA will not be in a
position to complete the handling of your application within the initial
time-limit of 15 working days, which was due to expire on 20 June 2024.
An extended time-limit is needed given that additional administrative
efforts are required in terms of, inter alia, carrying out consultations,
identifying all relevant documents, thoroughly examining their contents
and making comprehensive assessments against Article 4 of Regulation (EC)
No 1049/2001 - in order to be able to duly process your request in the
most diligent manner in accordance with the principle of good
administration.
In light of the above, the Agency has decided to extend the time-limit by
an additional 15 working days in accordance with Article 7(3) of
Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001. The new time limit is due to expire on 11
July 2024. Nonetheless, the Agency strives to get back to you as swiftly
as possible.
Yours sincerely,
European Union Agency for Asylum
Email: [3][EUAA request email]
Website: [4]https://euaa.europa.eu
From: Public Access To Documents Mailbox <[5][EUAA request email]>
Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2024 4:01 PM
To: Alexander Fanta <[6][FOI #14592 email]>
Subject: RE: access to documents request - Campaign on X
Dear Mr Fanta,
Reference is made to your below correspondence of 24 May 2024.
We hereby acknowledge receipt of your application for access to documents
under Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001, which was registered under reference
number 003882 on 29 May 2024.
In accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 regarding public access to
European Parliament, Council and Commission documents and Decision No 6 of
the Management Board of EASO laying down practical arrangements regarding
public access to documents of EASO (now EUAA), your application will be
handled within 15 working days from the day of registration.
The (initial) time limit is set to expire on 20 June 2024. In case this
time limit needs to be extended, you will be informed in due course.
Yours sincerely,
European Union Agency for Asylum
Email: [7][EUAA request email]
Website: [8]https://euaa.europa.eu
Disclaimer: Please be informed that the easo.europa.eu domain is being
phased out. Please update your contact records with the EUAA domain name.
Dear European Union Agency for Asylum,
Please pass this on to the person who reviews confirmatory applications.
I am filing the following confirmatory application with regards to my access to documents request 'Campaign on X'.
My request was refused based on the exceptions for privacy and commercial interests. In regard to the latter, I argue that the agency made an error in law by an overly broad application of this provision. European Ombudsman rulings state that as not all information about a company is commercially sensitive, a test should be performed each time to conclude whether the exception applies (see European Ombudsman Case: 1701/2011/ANA 24 June 2013; Case: 676/2008/RT 07 July 2010.) The goal should be to determine whether disclosure would actually undermine the commercial interests of the company (see European Ombudsman Case: 1922/2014/PL 30 August 2016). I note that in several cases the Ombudsman has found insufficient grounds for refusal (European Ombudsman Case: 676/2008/RT 07 July 2010; Case: 181/2013/AN 16 February 2015). I further note that the Commission is not bound by objections from the third party involved.
In the present case, the documents concerned appear to concern a run-of-the-mill social media booking. Any social media company, nor an intermediary, is likely to reveal anything of commercial value to outsiders as part of such a booking. On the contrary, public disclosure of information about how EU institutions spend their money is the norm, and I don't see why this shouldn't hold true in this case. Other EU institutions have disclosed such information in the past without trouble.
In terms of the public interest in disclosure, I point to the specific public interest in this case in relation to the wider social media strategy deployed by the EU Agency for Asylum in regard to X, a platform which many public institutions in Europe have left in recent months over concerns regarding its approach to disinformation and its apparently negligent content moderation, as well as far-right remarks by its majority owner in regard to refugees and asylum. I think it is well within the public interest to know why an EU agency insists on booking ads on X, or how, otherwise, its ads ended up on said platform.
A full history of my request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.asktheeu.org/en/request/camp...
Yours faithfully,
Alexander Fanta
Follow the Money
Rue Auguste Orts 2
1000 Bruxelles
Dear Mr Fanta,
Reference is made to your below correspondence of 11 July 2024.
We hereby acknowledge receipt of your application for access to documents
(confirmatory) under Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001, which was registered
under reference number 004100 on 15 July 2024.
In accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 regarding public access to
European Parliament, Council and Commission documents and Decision No 6 of
the Management Board of EASO laying down practical arrangements regarding
public access to documents of EASO (now EUAA), your application will be
handled within 15 working days from the day of registration.
The (initial) time limit is set to expire on 5 August 2024. In case this
time limit needs to be extended, you will be informed in due course.
Yours sincerely,
European Union Agency for Asylum
Email: [1][EUAA request email]
Website: [2]https://euaa.europa.eu
Disclaimer: Please be informed that the easo.europa.eu domain is being
phased out. Please update your contact records with the EUAA domain name.
Dear Mr Fanta,
Reference is made to your application for access to documents
(confirmatory) under Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001, which was registered
under reference number 004100 on 15 July 2024.
Please note that your application is currently being handled by the EUAA
in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 and the Agency’s
Management Board Decision No 6. However, the EUAA will not be in a
position to complete the handling of your application within the initial
time-limit of 15 working days, which was due to expire on 5 August 2024.
An extended time-limit is needed given that additional administrative
efforts are required in terms of, inter alia, carrying out consultations
and making comprehensive assessments against Article 4 of Regulation (EC)
No 1049/2001 - in order to be able to duly process your request in the
most diligent manner in accordance with the principle of good
administration.
In light of the above, the Agency has decided to extend the time-limit by
an additional 15 working days in accordance with Article 7(3) of
Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001. The new time limit is due to expire on 27
August 2024. Nonetheless, the Agency strives to get back to you as swiftly
as possible.
Best regards,
European Union Agency for Asylum
Email: [1][EUAA request email]
Website: [2]https://euaa.europa.eu
Disclaimer: Please be informed that the easo.europa.eu domain is being
phased out. Please update your contact records with the EUAA domain name.
From: Public Access To Documents Mailbox <[EUAA request email]>
Sent: Monday, July 15, 2024 3:23 PM
To: Alexander Fanta <[FOI #14592 email]>
Cc: Public Access To Documents Mailbox <[EUAA request email]>
Subject: RE: Internal review of access to documents request - Campaign on
X
Dear Mr Fanta,
Reference is made to your below correspondence of 11 July 2024.
We hereby acknowledge receipt of your application for access to documents
(confirmatory) under Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001, which was registered
under reference number 004100 on 15 July 2024.
In accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 regarding public access to
European Parliament, Council and Commission documents and Decision No 6 of
the Management Board of EASO laying down practical arrangements regarding
public access to documents of EASO (now EUAA), your application will be
handled within 15 working days from the day of registration.
The (initial) time limit is set to expire on 5 August 2024. In case this
time limit needs to be extended, you will be informed in due course.
Yours sincerely,
European Union Agency for Asylum
Email: [3][EUAA request email]
Website: [4]https://euaa.europa.eu
Disclaimer: Please be informed that the easo.europa.eu domain is being
phased out. Please update your contact records with the EUAA domain name.
Dear Mr Fanta,
Kindly find enclosed a letter from Ms Nina Gregori, Executive Director of
the EUAA, in response to your application for access to documents under
Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 (confirmatory) together with the disclosed
documents.
Yours sincerely,
European Union Agency for Asylum
Email: [1][EUAA request email]
Website: [2]https://euaa.europa.eu
Disclaimer: Please be informed that the easo.europa.eu domain is being
phased out. Please update your contact records with the EUAA domain name.
From: Public Access To Documents Mailbox <[EUAA request email]>
Sent: Monday, August 5, 2024 11:10 AM
To: Alexander Fanta <[FOI #14592 email]>
Cc: Public Access To Documents Mailbox <[EUAA request email]>
Subject: RE: Internal review of access to documents request - Campaign on
X
Dear Mr Fanta,
Reference is made to your application for access to documents
(confirmatory) under Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001, which was registered
under reference number 004100 on 15 July 2024.
Please note that your application is currently being handled by the EUAA
in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 and the Agency’s
Management Board Decision No 6. However, the EUAA will not be in a
position to complete the handling of your application within the initial
time-limit of 15 working days, which was due to expire on 5 August 2024.
An extended time-limit is needed given that additional administrative
efforts are required in terms of, inter alia, carrying out consultations
and making comprehensive assessments against Article 4 of Regulation (EC)
No 1049/2001 - in order to be able to duly process your request in the
most diligent manner in accordance with the principle of good
administration.
In light of the above, the Agency has decided to extend the time-limit by
an additional 15 working days in accordance with Article 7(3) of
Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001. The new time limit is due to expire on 27
August 2024. Nonetheless, the Agency strives to get back to you as swiftly
as possible.
Best regards,
European Union Agency for Asylum
Email: [3][EUAA request email]
Website: [4]https://euaa.europa.eu
Disclaimer: Please be informed that the easo.europa.eu domain is being
phased out. Please update your contact records with the EUAA domain name.
From: Public Access To Documents Mailbox <[5][EUAA request email]>
Sent: Monday, July 15, 2024 3:23 PM
To: Alexander Fanta <[6][FOI #14592 email]>
Cc: Public Access To Documents Mailbox <[7][EUAA request email]>
Subject: RE: Internal review of access to documents request - Campaign on
X
Dear Mr Fanta,
Reference is made to your below correspondence of 11 July 2024.
We hereby acknowledge receipt of your application for access to documents
(confirmatory) under Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001, which was registered
under reference number 004100 on 15 July 2024.
In accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 regarding public access to
European Parliament, Council and Commission documents and Decision No 6 of
the Management Board of EASO laying down practical arrangements regarding
public access to documents of EASO (now EUAA), your application will be
handled within 15 working days from the day of registration.
The (initial) time limit is set to expire on 5 August 2024. In case this
time limit needs to be extended, you will be informed in due course.
Yours sincerely,
European Union Agency for Asylum
Email: [8][EUAA request email]
Website: [9]https://euaa.europa.eu
Disclaimer: Please be informed that the easo.europa.eu domain is being
phased out. Please update your contact records with the EUAA domain name.