Ref. Ares(2023)7025337 - 16/10/2023
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
DIRECTORATE-GENERAL
ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL AFFAIRS
Resources and performance management
HR Correspondent, data protection and security
ECFIN.R.1
Henning, Maximilian
Rue de Londres 24
1050 Ixelles, Belgium
E-mail:ask+request-13460-
xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx
Subject:
Your application for access to documents 2023/5477
Dear Mr Henning,
we refer to your request for access to European Commission documents registered on 04/09/2023
under the above-mentioned reference number.
You request concerns access to all available documents in relation to
“The 25.05.2023 meeting between Booking.com and Cabinet members of Commissioner Gentiloni
as well as the 03.07.2023 meeting between BPCE and Cabinet members of Commissioner
Gentiloni.”
I consider your request to cover documents held up to the date of your initial application, i.e.,
04/09/2023.
Please note that due to the wide scope of your request, covering also areas falling under the
responsibility of other Directorates-General, parts of your request have been attributed to other
Directorates-General (1). This reply relates only to the documents held by the Directorate-General
for Economic and Financial Affairs. Thus, concerning the documents in relation to the meeting of
25.05.2023, you will receive a separate reply from Directorate-General Taxation and Customs
Union.
As far as DG ECFIN is concerned, your application pertains to the following document:
Exchange between BPCE I and Cabinet Gentiloni: BPCE I Request for a meeting (messages from 15
June 2023).
Regarding the above document listed above, a complete disclosure of the identified documents is
prevented by the exception concerning the protection of privacy and the integrity of the individual
outlined in Article 4(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001, because they contain the following
personal data:
– the names/initials and contact information of Commission staff members not pertaining to the
senior management;
(1) DG TAXUD, case-number EASE 2023/5477.
Commission européenne/Europese Commissie, 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel, BELGIQUE/BELGIË
– the names/initials and contact details of other natural persons.
Article 9(1)(b) of the Data Protection Regulation does not allow the transmission of these personal
data, except if you prove that it is necessary to have the data transmitted to you for a specific
purpose in the public interest and where there is no reason to assume that the legitimate interests
of the data subject might be prejudiced. In your request, you do not express any particular interest to
have access to these personal data nor do you put forward any arguments to establish the necessity to
have the data transmitted for a specific purpose in the public interest.
Consequently, I conclude that, pursuant to Article 4(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001, access
cannot be granted to the personal data contained in the requested documents, as the need to obtain
access thereto for a purpose in the public interest has not been substantiated and there is no reason to
think that the legitimate interests of the individuals concerned would not be prejudiced by disclosure
of the personal data concerned.
Please note that documents originating from third parties are disclosed to you based on Regulation
(EC) No 1049/2001. However, this disclosure is without prejudice to the rules on intellectual
property, which may limit your right to reproduce or exploit the released document without the
agreement of the originator, who may hold an intellectual property right on it. The European
Commission does not assume any responsibility from their reuse.
In case you would disagree with this position, you are entitled, in accordance with Article 7(2) of
Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001, to submit a confirmatory application requesting the Commission to
review this position.
Such a confirmatory application should be addressed to the Secretariat-General of the Commission
within 15 working days upon receipt of this letter. You can submit it by mail, to:
European Commission
Secretariat-General
Transparency, Document Management & Access to Documents (SG.C.1)
BERL 7/076
B-1049 Bruxelles
or by email, to: xxxxxxxxxx@xx.xxxxxx.xx
Yours faithfully,
Electronically signed
Henrik Kersting
Head of Unit
2
Electronically signed on 16/10/2023 17:59 (UTC+02) in accordance with Article 11 of Commission Decision (EU) 2021/2121
