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Council of the European Union
General Secretariat
Directorate-General Communication and Information - COMM
Directorate Information and Outreach
Information Services Unit / Transparency
Head of Unit
Brussels, 10 April 2024
Mr Alistair Keepe
Email: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx
Ref. 24/0822
Request made on: 06.03.2024
Deadline extension: 27.03.2024
Dear Mr Keepe,
Thank you for your request for access to documents of the Council of the European Union.
1 The General Secretariat of the Council (GSC) has identified the following documents as covered
by your request:
1) Suggested press line to take – Council document distribution (of 03.10.2023)
2) Technical note on document distribution (of 23.10.2023)
3) Standard document 13844/23
4) Standard document 13217/23
5) Letter of 7 July 2023 from the German Minister of State for Europe and Climate to the
Secretary-General of the Council
Please find attached the
Suggested press line to take – Council document distribution (document (1) above) as well as document
13217/23 (document (4) above).
You wil also find attached a redacted version of document
13844/23 (document (3) above).
Indeed, only one paragraph of the document is covered by your request; the other parts have not
been assessed and have consequently been deleted.
1
The General Secretariat of the Council has examined your request on the basis of the applicable rules:
Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council regarding public access to
European Parliament, Council and Commission documents (OJ L 145, 31.5.2001, p. 43) and the specific
provisions concerning public access to Council documents set out in Annex II to the Council's Rules of Procedure
(Council Decision No 2009/937/EU, OJ L 325, 11.12.2009, p. 35).
Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 175 - B-1048 Bruxelles/Brussel - Belgique/België
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 67 10 - www.consilium.europa.eu - xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxx.xxxxxx.xx
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Technical note on document distribution
This note contains technical information on distribution of Council documents.
Release of some of the information contained in it would make the relevant IT systems more
vulnerable to attacks, thereby affecting their safety and security.
Disclosure of this information would therefore undermine the protection of the public interest as
regards public security. As a consequence, the General Secretariat has to refuse access to it
.2 It is, however, possible to separate relevant parts from the rest of the document, and you wil
therefore find enclosed a partially accessible version of it.
3
Letter from the German Minister of State for Europe and Climate
You may have access to this document, with the exception of some personal data.
4 The personal
data contained in this document is necessary for the organisation of the work of the Council.
EU data protection rules
5 provide that when the personal data collected is to be used for a dif erent
purpose, including disclosure to the public, a balance needs to be established between the public
interest in having access to such data and the legitimate right of individuals to protect their
personal data.
6
After carefully considering all the principles related to this request, on balance the General
Secretariat has concluded that disclosure of the personal data concerned would undermine the
protection of privacy and the integrity of the identified individuals. Therefore, the General
Secretariat has to refuse access to this data.
7 Please note that there currently is no reply to the letter by Member States’ parliaments mentioned
by you.
2
Article 4(1)(a), first indent, of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001.
3
Article 4(6) of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001.
4
Article 4(6) of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001.
5
Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection
of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and
agencies and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 and Decision No
1247/2002/EC (OJ L 295 21.11.2018, p. 39).
6
Article 9 of Regulation (EU) No 2018/1725.
7
Article 4(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001.
Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 175 - B-1048 Bruxelles/Brussel - Belgique/België
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 67 10 - www.consilium.europa.eu - xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxx.xxxxxx.xx
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Pursuant to Article 7(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001, you may ask the Council to review this
decision within 15 working days of receiving this reply. Should you see the need for such a review,
you are invited to indicate the reasons thereof.
Yours sincerely,
Fernando FLORINDO
Enclosures: 5
Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 175 - B-1048 Bruxelles/Brussel - Belgique/België
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 67 10 - www.consilium.europa.eu - xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxx.xxxxxx.xx
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Document Outline
