5th PCI list – request for the cost-benefit analysis of the gas projects
Dear DG Energy,
In accordance with Regulation 1049/2001 and Regulation 1367/2006 as amended by Regulation 2021/1767, we hereby request the following documents related to the of the so-called Delegated Act with the 5th PCI list (COMMISSION DELEGATED REGULATION (EU) …/... of 19.11.2021 amending Regulation (EU) No 347/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the Union list of projects of common interest):
- Project specific cost-benefit analysis for the draft lists of gas projects per priority corridors (NSI West, NSI East, SGC and BEMIP).
Additionally, we request access to any other document in your possession, which records the sustainability assessment, emissions calculations (also emissions that are foreseeable) and the evaluation of flows in the infrastructure carried out for the draft list of gas projects.
Yours faithfully,
Gligor Radecic
CEE Bankwatch Network
Dear Sir,
Thank you for your request for access to documents.
Unfortunately, you have not indicated your postal address. This is
necessary for registering and handling your request in line with the
procedural requirements.
Please send us your full postal address at your earliest convenience.
Pending your reply, we reserve the right to refuse the registration of
your request.
Alternatively, you may use directly the electronic form available on the
Europa website:
][1]http://ec.europa.eu/transparency/regdoc/....
Yours faithfully,
Access to documents team (cr)
SG.C.1
Transparency
Dear,
The postal address of CEE Bankwatch Network is:
CEE Bankwatch Network
Heřmanova 1088/8
Prague 7, 170 00
Czech Republic
Yours faithfully,
Gligor Radečić
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/...
Dear Energy,
I would kindly ask you to respond concerning my request from 16 December 2021 (5th PCI list – request for the cost-benefit analysis of the gas projects).
I have not received a reply within the prescribed time limit (by 17 January 2022).
Yours faithfully,
Gligor Radečić
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/...
Dear applicant,
Please find attached the reply to your request, registered under reference
GestDem 2021/8142.
According to standard operational procedure, the reply is usually also
sent to you by registered post. Please note, however, that due to the
extraordinary health and security measures currently in force during to
the COVID-19 epidemics, which include the requirement for all Commission
non-critical staff to telework, we are unfortunately not in a position to
follow this procedure until further notice.
We would therefore appreciate if you could confirm receipt of the present
e-mail by replying to [1][email address]
Best regards,
ENER C4 ACCES DOCUMENTS
References
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1. mailto:[email address]
February 2022
European Commission
Secretariat-General
Transparency, Document Management & Access to Documents (SG.C.1)
[email to: [email address]]
RE: Ref GestDem No 2021/8142
Confirmatory application regarding the Commission’s decision on disclosure of documents relating to the cost-benefit analysis and the sustainability assessment of the gas projects on the 5th PCI list
Dear Madam/Sir,
Bankwatch hereby submits a confirmatory application with regard to the Commission’s reply to our request for documents relating to the cost-benefit analysis and the sustainability assessment of the gas projects on the 5th PCI list.
On 16 December 2021, Bankwatch requested access to:
“- project specific cost-benefit analysis for the draft lists of gas projects per priority corridors (NSI West, NSI East, SGC and BEMIP).
- to any other document in EC possession, which records the sustainability assessment, emissions calculations (also emissions that are foreseeable) and the evaluation of flows in the infrastructure carried out for the draft list of gas projects.”
Bankwatch’s request was partially refused. The Commission refused access to documents in its possession which record the sustainability assessment for the draft list of gas projects (“requested documents”). The refusal is based on the exception provided in second subparagraph of Article 4(3), of Regulation 1049/2001.
Bankwatch hereby requests a re-examination of the Commission’s decision to partially refuse access to the requested documents on the following grounds:
1. The requested documents are legislative documents containing environmental information
The requested documents constitute “legislative documents” within the meaning of Regulation 1049/2001. Furthermore, all of them contain “environmental information” within the meaning of Article 2(1)(d), point (v) in relation to point (iii) of Regulation (EC) No 1367/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 September 2006 on the application of the provisions of the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters to Union institutions and bodies (the “Aarhus Regulation”).
It is clear that delegated acts, such as the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) …/... of 19.11.2021 amending Regulation (EU) No 347/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the Union list of projects of common interest, fall within the scope of the “legislative documents”, as defined by the recital 6 and Article 12(2) of Regulation 1049/2001 and held by the CJEU (Case C-57/16 P ClientEarth v Commission, para. 85).
The Aarhus Regulation defines “environmental information”, as, among others:
“any information in written, visual, aural, electronic or any other material form on:
…
ii)
factors, such as substances, energy, noise, radiation or waste, including radioactive waste, emissions, discharges and other releases into the environment, affecting or likely to affect the elements of the environment referred to in point (i);
(iii)
measures (including administrative measures), such as policies, legislation, plans, programmes, environmental agreements, and activities affecting or likely to affect the elements and factors referred to in points (i) and (ii) as well as measures or activities designed to protect those elements;
(v)
cost-benefit and other economic analyses and assumptions used within the framework of the measures and activities referred to in point (iii).”
The requested documents contain information about the PCI projects’ contribution to the reduction of emissions, i.e. the CO2 emission savings from fuel switching, and on the environmental impacts of the PCI projects on their surroundings; they include cost-benefit and other analyses and assumptions; and are used within this framework to adopt a delegated regulation. As such they contain “environmental information” within the meaning of the Aarhus Regulation.
2. The requested documents are not covered by Article 4(3) of Regulation 1049/2001
It is clear that the ranking of projects is for the internal use of the Gas Regional Groups and that the ranking is used to assist members of the Group to make a decision about the manageable number of projects according to Article 4(4) in connection with the Annex III.2(14) of the Regulation (EU) No 347/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2013 on guidelines for trans-European energy infrastructure and repealing Decision No 1364/2006/EC and amending Regulations (EC) No 713/2009, (EC) No 714/2009 and (EC) No 715/2009 (“TEN-E regulation”).
However, this doesn’t mean that the information on which the ranking is based cannot be made public. Furthermore, we argue that the provision “nor shall the ranking be used for any subsequent purpose except as described in Annex III.2(14)” doesn’t mean that these documents, including ranking, cannot be made public. In our view, this provision only provides an explanation on how the ranking can be used in the process of the adoption of the list of Projects of Common Interest.
There is already broad access to the requested documents, and only members of the public are excluded from accessing them. To recall the Commission’s response: “only representatives of the Member States, national regulatory authorities, TSOs, as well as the Commission, the Agency and the relevant ENTSO… are, are therefore, entitled access to the ranking”. It is important to emphasize that some of these entities that have access to rankings are privately controlled or only partially state-owned.
The decision based on the requested information has already been taken, as the so-called 5th PCI list has already been made public by the Commission.
Arguments that the disclosure of the sustainability assessment requested would negatively affect the current and have serious consequences on the future decision-making process in the context of the adoption of so-called PCI list, remain unsubstantiated and fail to demonstrate that the risk of undermining the decision-making procedure is serious and foreseeable and not purely hypothetical.
The Court has made clear “that the mere reference to a risk of negative repercussions linked to access to internal documents and the possibility that interested parties may influence the procedure do not suffice to prove that disclosure of those documents would seriously undermine the decision-making process of the institution concerned.” (Case C-60/15 P Saint-Gobain Glass Deutschland v Commission, para. 83.).
The CJEU has imposed stringent criteria on the application of Article 4(3) of Regulation 1049/2001. As the Court has held for the first subparagraph of Article 4(3) of Regulation No 1049/2001, and that by analogy should apply also for the second subparagraph of Article 4 (3) "it is apparent from the second sentence of Article 6(1) of Regulation No 1367/2006, read in the light of recital 15 thereof, in particular, that the ground for refusal set out in the first subparagraph of Article 4(3) of Regulation No 1049/2001 is to be interpreted in a restrictive way as regards environmental information, taking into account the public interest served by disclosure of the requested information, thereby aiming for greater transparency in respect of that information." (Case C-57/16 P ClientEarth v Commission, para. 100.).
Furthermore, if it is not possible to grant access to the whole documents, the Commission should grant partial access to the documents at issue. It is not evident whether the Commission has carried out a specific and individual examination of the documents in question to determine whether they are protected. According to Article 4(6) of the Regulation 1049/2001 “If only parts of the requested document are covered by any of the exceptions, the remaining parts of the document shall be released.”
3. Overriding public interest in disclosure
Bankwatch is a non-profit organisation whose aim is the protection of the environment. In that regard, one of its tasks is to promote increased transparency and public involvement in decision-making processes.
The so-called PCI list is an issue of particular public interest, as is evident by the increased media coverage of the PCI process, broad involvement of the EU public and NGOs in the consultation processes leading up to the establishment of the PCI list and the opposing views from Member States concerning the future framework for the PCI process.
Potential impacts on the environment and the sound management of public funds are also issues of public interest.
Legislative documents—such as the one in question—are subject to a wider concept of public access. The institutions of the EU can only be held accountable and demonstrate the legitimacy of their decisions through citizens being able to understand the context behind the making of those decisions.
For these reasons, we respectfully request a re-examination of the Commission’s decision and a response to the points raised above.
A full history of my request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: http://www.asktheeu.org/en/request/5th_p...
Sincerely
Gligor Radecic,
CEE Bankwatch Network,
e: [email address]
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/...
Link: [1]File-List
Link: [2]Edit-Time-Data
Link: [3]themeData
Link: [4]colorSchemeMapping
Dear Sir,
Thank you for your email dated 15 February 2022 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 ENER in reply to your initial application GESTDEM 2021/8142.
We hereby acknowledge receipt of your confirmatory application for access
to documents which was registered on 16 February 2022 (Ares(2022)1148319).
Your application will be handled within 15 working days (09/03/2022). 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 (GD)
[5]cid:image001.png@01D45409.F767C980
European Commission
Secretariat-General
SG C.1
[6][email address]
Link: [1]File-List
Link: [2]Edit-Time-Data
Link: [3]themeData
Link: [4]colorSchemeMapping
[5]1 st holding letter gestDem 2021-8142 - Ares(2022)1742115 (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 Mr Radecic,
I refer to your email of 15 February 2022, registered on 16 February 2022,
by which you submit a confirmatory application in accordance with Article
7(2) 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 finish consultations needed to carry out a
full analysis of your request and to take a final decision.
Therefore, we have not been in a position to reply to your confirmatory
request within the prescribed time limit which expires on 9 March 2022.
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 30 March 2022.
Yours sincerely,
Mariusz Daca, Ph.D.
Deputy Head of Unit
[6]cid:image001.gif@01D13362.41D673C0
European Commission
Secretariat General
Unit C.1 (Transparency, Document Management and Access to Documents)
References
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1. file:///tmp/cid:filelist.xml@01D833A2.FD712980
2. file:///tmp/cid:editdata.mso
3. file:///tmp/~~themedata~~
4. file:///tmp/~~colorschememapping~~
5. https://webgate.ec.testa.eu/Ares/documen...
Link: [1]File-List
Link: [2]Edit-Time-Data
Link: [3]themeData
Link: [4]colorSchemeMapping
[5]Your confirmatory application for access to documents under Regulation
(EC) No 1049/2001 - GESTDEM 2021/8142 - 2nd holding letter -
Ares(2022)2269622 (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 Mr Radecic,
I refer to your email of 15 February 2022, registered on 16 February 2022,
by which you submit a confirmatory application in accordance with Article
7(2) 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 9 March 2022, 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 expires on 30 March 2022.
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,
Mariusz Daca, Ph.D.
Deputy Head of Unit
[6]cid:image001.gif@01D13362.41D673C0
European Commission
Secretariat General
Unit C.1 (Transparency, Document Management and Access to Documents)
References
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1. file:///tmp/cid:filelist.xml@01D842D0.9F6FE190
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,
Many thanks for your previous e-mails dated March 9 and 28, explaining the status of my confirmatory application.
I would like to ask whether there is any update?
Yours sincerely,
Gligor Radečić
[1]Your confirmatory application for access to documents under Regulation
(EC) No 1049/2001 - GESTDEM 2021/8142 - 2nd holding letter -
Ares(2022)2269622 - Ares(2022)3001387 (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 Mr Radečić,
Thank you for your email.
We would like to assure you that the work in relation to your confirmatory
application is fully ongoing.
Currently, there are ongoing internal consultations in relation to your
request, which are not yet finalised. We hope to finalise them as soon as
possible.
We apologise for the delay in replying to your request and for the
inconvenience it may cause to you.
Yours sincerely,
Access to documents team (cr)
SG.C.1
Transparency
Dear Mr Gligor,
Please find attached the electronic version of Commission Decision C(2022)
3292 as adopted by the European Commission on 15.5.2022.
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
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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
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From: SG GREFFE CERTIFICATION
Sent: Monday, May 16, 2022 4:54 PM
To: '[FOI #10409 email]'
<[FOI #10409 email]>
Cc: CORINALDESI Lorenza (SG) <[email address]>
Subject: C(2022) 3292 final addressed to Mr Gligor Radecic, CEE Bankwatch
Network
Dear Mr Gligor,
Please find attached the electronic version of Commission Decision C(2022)
3292 as adopted by the European Commission on 15.5.2022.
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
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References
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3. https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/fpfis/wikis...
4. https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/secur...
6. https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/secur...
Dear Madam, Sir,
I'm confirming the receipt of the Commission's Decision GESTDEM 2021/8142 from 15 May 2022.
Yours faithfully,
Gligor Radečić