List of ECHA projects

La demande est partiellement réussie.

From: Belen Balanya, Corporate Europe Observatory
Rue d’Edimbourg 26, 1050 Brussels.
31 May 2021 RE: Access to Documents related to ECHA hydrogen projects

Dear sirs,

Referring to Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 on public access to EU documents and to the 'Aarhus Regulation' (see note), I would herewith like to ask for access to the following:

List of the project submissions via the ECHA for a pipeline of viable investment projects for the large-scale deployment of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen in line with the objectives of the EU Hydrogen Strategy.

Yours faithfully,

Belen Balanya

GROW-ACCES-DOCUMENTS@ec.europa.eu, Marché intérieur, Industrie, Entrepreneuriat et PME

Dear Ms Balanya,

We refer to your e-mail dated 31 May 2021 in which you make a request for access to documents.

The description given in your application does not enable us to identify concrete documents which would correspond to your request. We therefore invite you, pursuant to Article 6(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 regarding public access to documents, to provide us with more detailed information on the documents that you seek to obtain (ex: related to specific meetings, initiatives, etc.).

In particular, does your request concern documents held by the ECHA or by DG GROW?

If you need assistance in clarifying or specifying your application, please let us know.
In accordance with Article 2, third paragraph of the Implementing Rules to Regulation 1049/2001[1], the 15 working days time limit for handling your application will start running when we receive the requested clarifications.

Thank you in advance for your understanding.

Kind regards,

DG GROW – Access to documents team
European Commission
Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs
DG GROW/B1 – Planning and Briefings

Afficher les sections citées

Dear [email address],

Thanks for your message. On 19 May, "DG GROW Hydrogen team" in an email to members of the ECHA said that they had received by then 1052 project submissions. Projects submitted by members of the Alliance, " that have submitted their projects for the building of a pipeline of viable investment projects for the large-scale deployment of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen in line with the objectives of the EU Hydrogen Strategy."

Is this list of projects I ask for. I hope this makes the scope of the request more clear, please let me know,

Yours sincerely,

Belen Balanya

GROW-ACCES-DOCUMENTS@ec.europa.eu, Marché intérieur, Industrie, Entrepreneuriat et PME

Dear Ms Balanya,

Thank you for your e-mail of 31 May 2021. We hereby acknowledge receipt of your application for access to documents, which was registered on 31 May 2021 under reference number GESTDEM 2021/3532.

In accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents, your application will be handled within 15 working days. The time limit will expire on 21 June 2021. In case this time limit needs to be extended, you will be informed in due course.

You have lodged your application via a private third-party website, which has no link with any institution of the European Union. Therefore, the European Commission cannot be held accountable for any technical issues or problems linked to the use of this system.

Please note that the private third party running the website is responsible and accountable for the processing of your personal data via that website, and not the Commission. For further information on your rights, please refer to the third party’s privacy policy.

We understand that the third party running the AsktheEU.org website usually publishes the content of applicants’ correspondence with the Commission on that website. This includes the personal data that you may have communicated to the Commission (e.g. your private postal address).

Similarly, the third party publishes on that website any reply that the Commission will send to the email address of the applicants generated by the AsktheEU.org website.
If you do not wish that your correspondence with the Commission is published on a private third-party website such as AsktheEU.org, you can provide us with an alternative, private e-mail address for further correspondence. In that case, the Commission will send all future electronic correspondence addressed to you only to that private address, and it will use only that private address to reply to your request. You should still remain responsible to inform the private third-party website about this change of how you wish to communicate with, and receive a reply from, the Commission.

For information on how we process your personal data visit our page Privacy statement – access to documents.

Yours faithfully,

Access to Documents Team

Afficher les sections citées

Dear Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs,

Please pass this on to the person who reviews confirmatory applications.

In conformity with Article 7(4) of 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”), I hereby submits a confirmatory application regarding the Commission's implied refusal to provide the information I requested on 31 May 2021 (reference number GESTDEM 2021/3532)

We note that the deadline to reply to our request expired on 21 June January 2021.

We accordingly urge you to disclose the requested information in the shortest time possible.

Yours faithfully,
Belén Balanyá

GROW-ACCES-DOCUMENTS@ec.europa.eu, Marché intérieur, Industrie, Entrepreneuriat et PME

1 Attachment

Dear Ms Balanya,

 

We refer to your separate mail that you have just sent us for a
confirmatory application. We had sent you a deadline extension
notification for this request GESTDEM 2021/3532, however it seems that it
was sent to one of your older Ask the EU mail addresses. Please find below
this previous notification : the new time limit expires on 12/07/2021.

 

We apologize for this delay and for any inconvenience this may cause.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

DG GROW – Access to documents team

 

[1]cid:479385507@17082012-2045

European Commission
Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and
SMEs
DG  GROW/B1 – Planning and Briefings

 

 

From: GROW ACCES DOCUMENTS <[DG GROW request email]>
Sent: Friday, June 18, 2021 4:43 PM
To: [email address]
Cc: GROW ACCES DOCUMENTS <[DG GROW request email]>
Subject: Your request for access to documents GESTDEM 2021/3532

 

Dear Madam,

 

We refer to your request for access to documents, registered under the
above mentioned reference number.

Your application is currently being handled. However, we will not be in a
position to complete the handling of your application within the time
limit of 15 working days, which expires on 21/06/2021.

An extended time limit is needed as your application concerns a large
number of documents.

 

Therefore, we have to extend the time limit with 15 working days in
accordance with Article 7(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 regarding
public access to documents. The new time limit expires on 12/07/2021.

 

We apologize for this delay and for any inconvenience this may cause.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

DG GROW – Access to documents team

 

[2]cid:479385507@17082012-2045

European Commission
Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and
SMEs
DG  GROW/B1 – Planning and Briefings

 

 

 

 

References

Visible links

GROW I1, Marché intérieur, Industrie, Entrepreneuriat et PME

2 Attachments

Dear Mrs Balanya,

Please find enclosed a registered letter signed by our Director-General Mrs Kerstin Jorna.

Best regards

GROW I1
Secretariat

European Commission
DG for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs
Unit GROW I1 - Energy Intensive Industries and Raw Materials

BREY 11/200
B-1049 Brussels/Belgium

Dear Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs,

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 'List of ECHA projects', GESTDEM 2021 3532

Pursuant to Article 7(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001, I ask the Commission to review the decision to refuse access to the documents in question, taking into consideration the following:

1. In relying on Article 4(2), it was not sufficiently demonstrated that disclosure of the documents would cause a reasonable foreseeable, non-hypothetical harm.

You state that:

Disclosure of these parts would undermine the protection of commercial interests of a natural or legal person, as putting this information in the public domain would affect their competitive position on the market.

The Court of Justice of the European Union has stated, an EU body “remains obliged (...) to explain how disclosure of that document could specifically and actually undermine the interest protected by an exception provided for in that provision, and the risk of the interest being undermined must be reasonably foreseeable and must not be purely hypothetical.” (Judgment of 3 July 2014. Council of the European Union v Sophie in 't Veld.C-350/12P para. 64)

Therefore, such application of the exception may be justified only if access to that document could specifically and effectively undermine the protected interest. Moreover, the risk of the protected interest being undermined must not be purely hypothetical and must be reasonably foreseeable.

By simply stating that putting this information in the public domain “would affect their competitive position on the market” the European Commission is not sufficiently demonstrating a reasonably foreseeable and non-purely hypothetical harm.

2. The overriding public interest in disclosure was not taken into consideration when applying Article 4(2) Regulation 1049/2001

Article 4(2), first indent, of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 provides that "[t]he institutions shall refuse access to a document where disclosure would undermine the protection of commercial interests of a natural or legal person, including intellectual property, […], unless there is an overriding public interest in disclosure".

You state:

I have examined whether there could be an overriding public interest in disclosure, but I have not been able to identify such an interest.

I contest that not only is there a public interest in knowing this information, but also assert that it overrides the commercial interests presented in your argument.

The European Clean Hydrogen Alliance is presenting a list of viable investment projects. If these projects are promoted by members of the alliance who will also benefit from the regulatory and financial benefits that these projects could enjoy, there is a clear case of public interest to be able to monitor and detect potential cases of conflict of interests.

3. The Union institutions must conduct their work as openly as possible

Article 15 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union states:

1. In order to promote good governance and ensure the participation of civil society, the Union's institutions, bodies, offices and agencies shall conduct their work as openly as possible.

As stated in Case C‑280/11 P, the Court lays out the “advantage” of increased openness is that it enables citizens to participate more closely in the decision-making process and guarantees that the administration enjoys greater legitimacy and is more effective and more accountable to the citizen in a democratic system.

In addition to this, in relation to the right of access to EU documents, recital 4 in the preamble to Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 states:

The purpose of this Regulation is to give the fullest possible effect to the right of public access to documents

Article 1 of Regulation 1049/2001 states:

‘The purpose of this Regulation is:
(a) to define the principles, conditions and limits on grounds of public or private interest governing the right of access to European Parliament, Council and Commission … documents … in such a way as to ensure the widest possible access to documents.

Yours faithfully,

Belen Balanya

SG ACCES DOCUMENTS, Marché intérieur, Industrie, Entrepreneuriat et PME

Dear Madam,

Thank you for your email dated 20/07/2021 by which you request, pursuant
to Regulation No 1049/2001 regarding public access to European Parliament,
Council and Commission documents, a review of the position taken by DG
GROW in reply to your initial application GESTDEM 2021/3532.

We hereby acknowledge receipt of your confirmatory application for access
to documents which was registered on 22/07/2021 (Ares(2021)4713475).

Your application will be handled within 15 working days (12/08/2021). In
case this time limit needs to be extended, you will be informed in due
course.

Please be informed that the answer to your confirmatory application is a
formal Commission decision that will be notified to you by express
delivery. Thank you for providing your contact phone number, so that the
external delivery service can contact you in case of absence.

Please note that the Commission will not use your phone number for any
other purpose than for informing the delivery service, and that it will
delete it immediately thereafter.

Yours faithfully,

Access to documents team (cr)
SG.C.1
Transparency

Afficher les sections citées

SG ACCES DOCUMENTS, Marché intérieur, Industrie, Entrepreneuriat et PME

1 Attachment

Link: [1]File-List
Link: [2]Edit-Time-Data
Link: [3]themeData
Link: [4]colorSchemeMapping

Dear Ms Balanya,

 

I refer to your email of 20 July 2021, registered on 22 July 2021, by
which you submit a confirmatory application in accordance with Article
7(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 regarding public access to European
Parliament, Council and Commission documents ("Regulation (EC) No
1049/2001"), registered under reference number above.

 

Your confirmatory application is currently being handled. Unfortunately,
we have not yet been able to gather all the elements needed to carry out a
full analysis of your request and to take a final decision.

Therefore, we are not in a position to reply to your confirmatory request
within the prescribed time limit which expired on 12 August 2021.
Consequently, we have to extend this period by another 15 working days in
accordance with Article 8(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001.

 

The new deadline expires on 2 September 2021. However, I can assure you
that we are doing our utmost to provide you with a final reply as soon as
possible.

 

I regret this additional delay and that due to an administrative problem
it was not possible to send you this information before.

Please accept our sincere apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

María OLIVÁN AVILÉS
Head of Unit

[5]cid:image001.gif@01D13362.41D673C0

European Commission

Secretariat General

Unit C.1 (Transparency, Document Management and Access to Documents)

 

 

 

 

References

Visible links
1. file:///tmp/cid:filelist.xml@01D79B77.BE33FA90
2. file:///tmp/cid:editdata.mso
3. file:///tmp/~~themedata~~
4. file:///tmp/~~colorschememapping~~

SG ACCES DOCUMENTS, Marché intérieur, Industrie, Entrepreneuriat et PME

1 Attachment

Link: [1]File-List
Link: [2]Edit-Time-Data
Link: [3]themeData
Link: [4]colorSchemeMapping

[5]Gestdem 2021- 3532 - 2nd holding reply - Ares(2021)5438992  (Please use
this link only if you are an Ares user – Svp, utilisez ce lien
exclusivement si vous êtes un(e) utilisateur d’Ares)

Dear Ms Balanya,

 

I refer to your email of 20 July 2021, registered on 22 July 2021, by
which you submit a confirmatory application in accordance with Article
7(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 regarding public access to European
Parliament, Council and Commission documents ("Regulation (EC) No
1049/2001"), registered under reference number above.

 

I also refer to our holding reply of 27 August 2021, by which the time
limit for replying to your confirmatory application was extended by 15
working days, pursuant to Article 8(2) of Regulation 1049/2001. This
extended time limit expired on 2 September 2021.

 

I regret to have to inform you that we are not able to respond within the
extended time-limit, as we have not yet finalised internal consultations.
I can assure you that we are doing our utmost to provide you with a final
reply as soon as possible.

 

I regret this additional delay and sincerely apologise for any
inconvenience this may cause.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

María OLIVÁN AVILÉS
Head of Unit

[6]cid:image001.gif@01D13362.41D673C0

European Commission

Secretariat General

Unit C.1 (Transparency, Document Management and Access to Documents)

 

 

 

References

Visible links
1. file:///tmp/cid:filelist.xml@01D7A0C4.7292B390
2. file:///tmp/cid:editdata.mso
3. file:///tmp/~~themedata~~
4. file:///tmp/~~colorschememapping~~
5. https://webgate.ec.testa.eu/Ares/documen...

Dear SG ACCES DOCUMENTS,

September 3rd 2021 I got the last response from you to my confirmatory application. That was about yet one more delay to a confirmatory application I had submitted on 22 July!

The response said "I can assure you that we are doing our utmost to provide you with a final reply as soon as possible."

Internal deliberations can not justify this lack of response, which is unacceptable. This appears more as an attempt to cover a total lack of transparency around the ECHA.

Yours sincerely,

Belen Balanya

Sg-Acc-Doc@ec.europa.eu, Marché intérieur, Industrie, Entrepreneuriat et PME

Your message has been received by the Transparency Unit of the
Secretariat-General of the European Commission.
Requests for public access to documents are treated on the basis of
[1]Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 of 30 May 2001 regarding public access to
European Parliament, Council and Commission documents.
The Secretariat-General will reply to your request within 15 working days
upon registration of your request and will duly inform you of the
registration of the request (or of any additional information to be
provided in view of its registration and/or treatment).
 
 
L’unité «Transparence» du secrétariat général de la Commission européenne
a bien reçu votre message.
Les demandes d’accès du public aux documents sont traitées sur la base du
[2]règlement (CE) n° 1049/2001 du 30 mai 2001 relatif à l’accès du public
aux documents du Parlement européen, du Conseil et de la Commission.
Le secrétariat général répondra à votre demande dans un délai de 15 jours
ouvrables à compter de la date d’enregistrement de votre demande, et vous
informera de cet enregistrement (ou vous indiquera toute information
supplémentaire à fournir en vue de l'enregistrement et/ou du traitement de
votre demande).
 
 
Ihre Nachricht ist beim Referat „Transparenz“ des Generalsekretariats der
Europäischen Kommission eingegangen.
Anträge auf Zugang zu Dokumenten werden auf der Grundlage der
[3]Verordnung (EG) Nr. 1049/2001 vom 30. Mai 2001 über den Zugang der
Öffentlichkeit zu Dokumenten des Europäischen Parlaments, des Rates und
der Kommission behandelt.
Das Generalsekretariat beantwortet Ihre Anfrage innerhalb von
15 Arbeitstagen nach deren Registrierung und wird Sie über die
Registrierung Ihres Antrags (oder die Notwendigkeit weiterer Informationen
im Hinblick auf dessen Registrierung und/oder Bearbeitung) unterrichten.
 
 

References

Visible links
1. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/...
2. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/...
3. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/...

SG-GREFFE-CERTIFICATION@ec.europa.eu, Marché intérieur, Industrie, Entrepreneuriat et PME

4 Attachments

 

Dear Ms Belen Balanya,

 

Please find attached the electronic version of Commission Decision C(2021)
8169 as adopted by the European Commission on 8.11.2021.

 

Given the exceptional circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the
formal notification of the decision under Article 297 TFEU is being made
only in electronic form.

 

Please confirm receipt of the attached document by return e-mail.

 

Kind regards,

 

 

MARTIN GALAN MARIA SERENA

Secrétariat général de la Commission – Greffe B-2
Procédures écrites, habilitations, délégations et transmissions externes

BERL 5/155
'   +32-2-299.59.48
7    +32-2-296.72.43

[1]cid:image016.jpg@01D041FE.EC4221C0[2]cid:image017.jpg@01D041FE.EC4221C0[3]cid:image018.jpg@01D041FE.EC4221C0

   Your tool  | Our help

 

 

 

References

Visible links
1. https://intragate.ec.europa.eu/decide/sep
3. https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/fpfis/wikis...

SG-GREFFE-CERTIFICATION@ec.europa.eu, Marché intérieur, Industrie, Entrepreneuriat et PME

3 Attachments

Dear Ms / Dear Mr,

It is very important for us.

Please, could you please acknowledge the receipt of the document enclosed
in the message addressed to you ?

 

MARTIN GALAN MARIA SERENA

Secrétariat général de la Commission – Greffe B-2
Procédures écrites, habilitations, délégations et transmissions externes

BERL 5/155
'   +32-2-299.59.48
7    +32-2-296.72.43

[1]cid:image016.jpg@01D041FE.EC4221C0[2]cid:image017.jpg@01D041FE.EC4221C0[3]cid:image018.jpg@01D041FE.EC4221C0

   Your tool  | Our help

 

 

From: SG GREFFE CERTIFICATION <[email address]>
Sent: Tuesday, November 9, 2021 3:38 PM
To: [FOI #9579 email]
Cc: OBLIN Frederic (SG) <[email address]>
Subject: C(2021) 8169 final addressed to Ms Belen Balanya, Corporate
Europe Observatory

 

 

Dear Ms Belen Balanya,

 

Please find attached the electronic version of Commission Decision C(2021)
8169 as adopted by the European Commission on 8.11.2021.

 

Given the exceptional circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the
formal notification of the decision under Article 297 TFEU is being made
only in electronic form.

 

Please confirm receipt of the attached document by return e-mail.

 

Kind regards,

 

 

MARTIN GALAN MARIA SERENA

Secrétariat général de la Commission – Greffe B-2
Procédures écrites, habilitations, délégations et transmissions externes

BERL 5/155
'   +32-2-299.59.48
7    +32-2-296.72.43

[4]cid:image016.jpg@01D041FE.EC4221C0[5]cid:image017.jpg@01D041FE.EC4221C0[6]cid:image018.jpg@01D041FE.EC4221C0

   Your tool  | Our help

 

 

 

References

Visible links
1. https://intragate.ec.europa.eu/decide/sep
3. https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/fpfis/wikis...
4. https://intragate.ec.europa.eu/decide/sep
6. https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/fpfis/wikis...

SG-GREFFE-CERTIFICATION@ec.europa.eu, Marché intérieur, Industrie, Entrepreneuriat et PME

4 Attachments

  • Attachment

    image001.jpg

    1K Download

  • Attachment

    image002.jpg

    0K Download

  • Attachment

    image003.jpg

    0K Download

  • Attachment

    RE C 2021 8169 final addressed to Ms Belen Balanya Corporate Europe Observatory.html

    15K Download

Dear Ms / Dear Mr,

It is very important for us.

Please, could you please acknowledge the receipt of the document enclosed
in the message addressed to you ?

 

 

MARTIN GALAN MARIA SERENA

Secrétariat général de la Commission – Greffe B-2
Procédures écrites, habilitations, délégations et transmissions externes

BERL 5/155
'   +32-2-299.59.48
7    +32-2-296.72.43

[1]cid:image016.jpg@01D041FE.EC4221C0[2]cid:image017.jpg@01D041FE.EC4221C0[3]cid:image018.jpg@01D041FE.EC4221C0

   Your tool  | Our help

 

 

From: SG GREFFE CERTIFICATION <[email address]>
Sent: Tuesday, November 9, 2021 3:38 PM
To: [FOI #9579 email]
Cc: OBLIN Frederic (SG) <[email address]>
Subject: C(2021) 8169 final addressed to Ms Belen Balanya, Corporate
Europe Observatory

 

 

Dear Ms Belen Balanya,

 

Please find attached the electronic version of Commission Decision C(2021)
8169 as adopted by the European Commission on 8.11.2021.

 

Given the exceptional circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the
formal notification of the decision under Article 297 TFEU is being made
only in electronic form.

 

Please confirm receipt of the attached document by return e-mail.

 

Kind regards,

 

 

MARTIN GALAN MARIA SERENA

Secrétariat général de la Commission – Greffe B-2
Procédures écrites, habilitations, délégations et transmissions externes

BERL 5/155
'   +32-2-299.59.48
7    +32-2-296.72.43

[4]cid:image016.jpg@01D041FE.EC4221C0[5]cid:image017.jpg@01D041FE.EC4221C0[6]cid:image018.jpg@01D041FE.EC4221C0

   Your tool  | Our help

 

 

 

References

Visible links
1. https://intragate.ec.europa.eu/decide/sep
3. https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/fpfis/wikis...
4. https://intragate.ec.europa.eu/decide/sep
6. https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/fpfis/wikis...

Dear [email address],

I confirm I got the response to my confirmatory application,

kind regards,

Belen Balanya