EU and representatives of Mowi ASA, Mowi Markets Norway ASA
Dear Secretarial General of the European Commission,
Under the right of access to documents established in the EU Treaties and further elaborated in Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001, I hereby request access to all documents—regardless of format (including, but not limited to, email correspondence, meeting agendas, attendance lists, background notes, preparatory papers, transcripts, recordings, and minutes/resumes/notes of meetings)—exchanged between:
Any representatives of the Office of the Commissioner for Competition or the European Commission's Directorate-General for Competition
AND
Any representatives of the Norwegian companies Mowi ASA, Mowi Markets Norway ASA and SalMar, involved in the European Commission's antitrust investigation into the farmed Atlantic salmon sector.
The request regards the period from 2019 to 4.8.2025.
This request includes both formal and informal exchanges and documentation relating to the European Commission’s case AT.40606 or any related investigations, consultations, or assessments.
Please confirm receipt of this request and inform me if any clarifications are needed.
Yours faithfully,
Joachim Kattrup
Address:
Brofogedvej 8, 2.sal.
DK-2400 Copenhagen NV
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 Sir or Madam,
We hereby acknowledge the receipt of your request for access to documents
sent on 04/08/2025 and registered on 04/08/2025 under the case number
2025/3991.
We will handle your request within 15 working days as of the date of
registration. The time-limit expires on 26/08/2025. We will let you know
if we need to extend this time limit for additional 15 working days.
To find more information on how we process your personal data, please see
[1]the privacy statement.
Yours faithfully,
Secretariat-General - Access to Documents
European Commission
References
Visible links
1. https://ec.europa.eu/info/principles-and...
Dear Sir,
Subject: Your application for access to documents – Ref EASE No
2025/3991
We refer to your e-mail dated 04/08/2025 in which you make a request for
access to documents, registered on 04/08/2025 under the above-mentioned
reference number.
Please find attached a scan of the reply to your request for access to
documents, signed by the Director General.
You are kindly requested to reply to the present email acknowledging
receipt thereof.
Yours faithfully,
Eleftheria Paraschou
Case Assistant
European Commission
DG COMPETITION
Unit G-3 Cartels
MADO 05/031
B-1049 Brussels/Belgium
+32 229-82777
[1][email address]
[2]http://ec.europa.eu/competition
DISCLAIMER
"The views expressed are purely those of the writer and may not in any
circumstances be regarded as stating an official position of the European
Commission."
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://ec.europa.eu/competition
http://ec.europa.eu/competition
Dear Secretariat General of the European Commission,
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 'EU and representatives of Mowi ASA, Mowi Markets Norway ASA'.
I hereby submit a confirmatory application pursuant to Article 7(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001, asking the Commission to reconsider its decision of 6 August 2025 to refuse access to documents related to the ongoing antitrust investigation in Case COMP/AT.40606 – Farmed Atlantic Salmon.
1. Lack of concrete and individual assessment
The refusal is based primarily on a general presumption concerning the protection of the purpose of antitrust investigations (Article 4(2), third indent) and commercial interests (Article 4(2), first indent). However, according to settled case law, such presumptions cannot justify a blanket denial of access without a specific and individual assessment of each document.
In EnBW v. European Commission (C-365/12 P), the Court of Justice made it clear that the Commission must provide detailed justifications tailored to the content and nature of each document—especially when rejecting access under Article 4(2). A refusal based solely on abstract reasoning is insufficient.
While the Commission refers to the Court’s acceptance of a “general presumption” in antitrust cases, the refusal letter does not provide any document-specific reasoning. For example, the Commission concludes that “the requested documents are manifestly covered in their entirety” by the exception, without identifying which documents were considered or how their release would concretely harm the investigation. This suggests that no actual content-based analysis has been carried out, in contravention of the principles outlined in EnBW.
2. Public interest outweighs the exceptions
The requested documents concern exchanges between Commission officials and major salmon producers involved in a case of pan-European relevance. The farmed Atlantic salmon sector directly affects millions of EU citizens: it is one of the Union’s most widely consumed fish products, with over 400 million portions consumed annually, according to Eurostat and industry data.
This is not merely a technical competition case—it is a matter of public transparency in a sector tied to food security, sustainability, environmental regulation, and consumer protection. Pricing and market access conditions in the farmed salmon industry have wide-ranging implications for consumers, retailers, and regulators across Member States.
In its Pfleiderer (C-360/09) judgment, the Court held that the disclosure of documents related to antitrust enforcement must be evaluated case by case, and that public interest can override confidentiality concerns. While the context there was private damages litigation, the principle clearly applies: exceptions to access rights are not absolute, and the Commission must weigh actual harm against public benefit.
3. Alternative access or partial disclosure
Even if the Commission maintains that certain documents must remain confidential, I respectfully request that it considers granting partial access, such as through redaction of sensitive content. Regulation 1049/2001 explicitly supports this approach, as confirmed in Turco v. Council (C-39/05 P) and related case law.
A total denial of access contradicts the principle of widest possible transparency in EU institutions and does not reflect a proportionate or balanced decision.
In light of the above, I respectfully request the Commission to:
Reassess the application of Article 4(2) exceptions in light of the EnBW and Pfleiderer precedents;
Provide a document-specific assessment of whether access must be refused and justify it accordingly;
Consider the overriding public interest in transparency in the farmed salmon sector;
Grant partial access to documents where appropriate.
I look forward to your response within the statutory deadline.
Yours sincerely,
Joachim Kattrup
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 Sir or Madam,
We hereby acknowledge the receipt of your confirmatory request for case
2025/3991, sent on 07/08/2025 and registered on 07/08/2025.
We will handle your confirmatory request within 15 working days as of the
date of registration. The time-limit expires on 29/08/2025. We will let
you know if we need to extend this time limit for additional 15 working
days.
Yours faithfully,
Secretariat-General - Access to Documents
European Commission
Hello,
We are writing concerning your confirmatory request for access to
Commission documents for case 2025/3991 registered on 7/08/2025.
We are currently working on your confirmatory request. However, we have
not yet been able to gather all the elements necessary to carry out a full
analysis of your request. We will not be able to send you the reply within
the prescribed time limit expiring on 29/08/2025.
Therefore, in line with Article 8(2) of [1]Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 we
need to extend this time limit by 15 additional working days. The new time
limit expires on 19/09/2025.
We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
Kind regards,
SG.A.2 Access to Documents Team
References
Visible links
1. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/...
Dear Secretariat General of the European Commission,
I note the new time limit on 19/09/2025, Thank you.
Yours faithfully,
Joachim Kattrup
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 Secretariat General of the European Commission,
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 'EU and representatives of Mowi ASA, Mowi Markets Norway ASA'.
Deadline was 19/9-2025 which is due a while ago. I kindly ask for progress.
Yours faithfully,
Joachim Kattrup
Dear Mr Kattrup,
Thank you for your email of 30 September 2025 concerning the status of
your request.
We would like, first, to reassure you that your confirmatory application
is being processed. When assessing a confirmatory application for access
to documents submitted pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001, the
Secretariat-General conducts an independent review of the reply given by
the Directorate-General concerned at initial stage. While we are
unfortunately unable to provide you with a specific timeline, we can
assure you that we are doing our utmost in order to ensure the swiftest
processing of your application as possible.
We would like to apologise for this delay and thank you in advance for
your very kind understanding and patience.
Secretariat-General/ Unit A.2 Access to Documents
Dear Secretariat General of the European Commission,
I kindly remind you about this request. Please state any progress on the matter.
Yours faithfully,
Joachim Kattrup
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 Secretariat General of the European Commission
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 'EU and representatives of Mowi ASA, Mowi Markets Norway ASA'.
Their has been no respons!
A full history of my request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.asktheeu.org/request/eu_and_...
Yours faithfully,
Joachim Kattrup
Dear KATTRUP, Joachim,
Please find attached the electronic version of European Commission
Decision C(2026) 489 as adopted by the European Commission on 21/01/2026
concerning the request 2025/3991.
In accordance with the Terms and Conditions of this portal, please note
that this decision is being formally notified pursuant to article 297 TFEU
through this electronic platform only.
Yours sincerely,
Access to documents team - SG.A.2
Joachim Kattrup left an annotation ()
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