May 7 meeting with TikTok
Alexander Fanta made this access to documents request to Communications Networks, Content and Technology Automatic anti-spam measures are in place for this older request. Please let us know if a further response is expected or if you are having trouble responding.
Dear Communications Networks, Content and Technology,
Under the right of access to documents in the EU treaties, as developed in Regulation 1049/2001, I wish to request any written record of the 7 May 2025 meeting between Director-General Roberto Viola, Prabhat Agarwal and TikTok, as referenced in the Transparency Register.
I note that minutes of said meeting were made available publicly through the Commission website. However, it is my understanding that other records of the meeting may exist. In this context, I note that Director-General Viola gave instruction on note-taking on 1 May 2025, according to which note-taking was "to happen using pen&paper". As I understand the definition of a document in Regulation 1049/2001 and Article 42 of the Fundamental Rights Charter ("whatever the medium") includes handwritten records on paper, I wish to request any handwritten notes by Commission participants to the meeting.
Yours faithfully,
Alexander Fanta
Follow the Money
Rue Auguste Orts 2
1000 Bruxelles
Dear Sir or Madam,
We hereby acknowledge the receipt of your request for access to documents
sent on 17/06/2025 and registered on 17/06/2025 under the case number
2025/3188.
We will handle your request within 15 working days as of the date of
registration. The time-limit expires on 08/07/2025. 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
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1. https://ec.europa.eu/info/principles-and...
Dear Sir,
We refer to your request for access to documents, registered under the
abovementioned 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 today. An extended time limit is
needed as different services need to be consulted.
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 30 July 2025.
We apologize for this delay and for any inconvenience this may cause.
Yours faithfully,
DG CONNECT Access to Documents Team
Hello,
Please find attached a message concerning your request for access to
Commission documents registered under the above case number 2025/3188.
Please acknowledge the receipt of this message by return email.
Kind regards,
European Commission
DG CONNECT — ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS
Rue de la Loi, 51
B-1049 Brussels/Belgium
Dear Director Viola, dear DG Connect A2D team,
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 'May 7 meeting with TikTok'.
In the reply I received, it is stated that "the record of the handwritten notes is the meeting minutes which are publicly available". However, I argue that these are two distinct documents. The public meeting minutes might derive from the handwritten notes, but intrinsically can't be the same thing, the same document. The definition of a document, recently affirmed in the Stevi case, makes abundantly clear that any document "whatever the medium" and in the possession of the institution falls under the Regulation. In this case, it is also clear that it relates to the policies and decisions of the institution. There is no question that the handwritten notes themselves are a document subject to the law. Please make them available.
Yours faithfully,
Alexander Fanta
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
2025/3188, sent on 23/07/2025 and registered on 23/07/2025.
We will handle your confirmatory request within 15 working days as of the
date of registration. The time-limit expires on 13/08/2025. 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
Dear FANTA, Alexander,
Please find attached the electronic version of European Commission
Decision C(2025)6744 as adopted by the European Commission on 30/10/2025
concerning the request 2025/3188.
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,
European Commission
Access to Documents - SG A2