Udenrigsmi nisteriet
Lora Verheecke
Asiatisk Plads 2
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DK-1448 København K
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Enclosures
Case id
Entity
Date
1
23/01220
Legal Service (JTK)
8. November 2023
Request for access to documents
By e-mail on 20 October 2023, you have requested the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs for access to documents by the following terms:
”Under Denmark’s Public administration Act (Lov om offentlighed i
Forvaltningen nr. 6060 af 12/06/2013), I am requesting documents which
contain the following information:
All information (including but not limited to all e-mail correspondence,
attendance lists, agendas, background papers, transcripts and recordings)
AND the meeting minutes/notes relating to the meeting between
Ambassador CARSTEN GRØNBECH-JENSEN and the Danish
Chamber of Commerce on 6th February 2023.”
As mentioned to you during our telephone conversation on 22 October
2023 Ambassador Carsten Grønbech-Jensen first took up his current
position on 1 September 2023. The meeting referred to took place while
Ambassador Per Fabricius Andersen was still heading the Permanent
Representation of Denmark to the European Union in Brussels.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has processed your request in accordance
with the rules on the right to access to documents under The Danish
Access to Public Administration Files Act (Offentlighedsloven) – the
‘Access to Public Administration Files Act’, hereafter.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has conducted a search in the ministry’s
records etc. for documents relevant to your request. The Ministry of
Foreign Affairs has identified documents, deemed to fall within the scope
of your request. The list of case documents is attached to this decision.
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The documents you have been granted access to are also enclosed along
with explanatory notes.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has exempted certain documents as well
as information in accordance with the rules on the right to access to
documents. The exemptions are listed on the document of explanatory
notes with reference to the relevant sections in the Access to Public
Administration Files Act.
According to section 23 (1), no. 1 of the the Access to Public
Administration Files Act, the right of access does not include internal
documents. In accordance with section 23 (1) no. 1, documents are
internal, when they have not been distributed outside of the Ministry.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has exempted certain internal documents
and information. This pertains to, for example internal e-mails about the
meeting.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has assessed that the exempted
documents contain information concerning the actual basis of the case,
which may be extracted, in accordance with section 28 of the Access to
Public Administration Files Act and shall be assessed with reference to
sections 30-33 of said Act. The information in reference hereto is enclosed
with this decision.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has considered whether access to the
exempted information shall be granted in accordance with the principle of
additional access to information as governed by section 14 (1) of the
Access to Public Administration Files Act. The Ministry has balanced the
considerations and principles governed by section 23 (1), no. 1 of the
Access to Public Administration Files Act against the legitimate interest
you are assumed to have in having your request for access to information
accommodated. Following this assessment, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
finds no grounds to grant access to the concerned documents.
It is not possible to appeal this decision to a higher administrative
authority.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me by phone
+4525267654, or by e-mail at xxxxxx@xx.xx.
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Sincerely,
Anne Ehrenreich
Senior Adviser
