Ref. Ares(2023)5688707 - 21/08/2023
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR ENERGY
The Director-General
Brussels, 21/08/2023
MP ener.a.1(2023)8273724
Ms Phoebe Cooke
5 Brayford Square
London E1 0SG
UK
by email:
ask+request-13023-
xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx
Subject:
Your application for access to documents – EASE 2023/3019
Dear Ms Cooke,
We refer to your e-mail of 24 May 2023 in which you make a request for access to
documents, registered on 24 May 2023 under the above-mentioned reference number.
You request access to
all documents—including but not limited to correspondence,
emails, minutes, notes (hand written or electronic), audio or video recordings, verbatim
reports, operational conclusions, lines to take, briefings, and presentations—related to
the following meetings held between European Council’s Energy portfolio and the
European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas (ENTSOG):
1) A meeting in Brussels on March 7, 2023, held between Stefan Grassi and Ruud
Kempener (cabinet members of Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson), and ENTSOG on
‘Hydrogen and Decarbonised Gas Markets – Electricity Market Design reform’.
2) A meeting in Brussels on October 26, 2022, held between Energy Commissioner Kadri
Simson, and cabinet members Tatiana Marquez, Stefano Grassi, and Helena Hinto, and
ENTSOG on ‘Joint purchasing options’.
3) A video conference on September 29, 2022, held between Director General of Energy,
Ditte Juul Jørgensen, and ENTSOG, on the subject of ‘Infrastructure, preparedness and
energy security’.
4) A video conference on June 21, 2022, between Director General of Energy, Ditte Juul
Jørgensen, and ENTSOG, on ‘security of supply and gas infrastructure’.
5) An online meeting on October 10, 2021, between Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson,
cabinet member Tatiana Marquez Uriarte and ENTSOG, on ‘energy prices and security
of supply’.
Commission européenne/Europese Commissie, 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel, BELGIQUE/BELGIË – Tel. +32 22991111
Office: DM24 08/084 – Tel. direct line +32 229-62496
6) A meeting in Brussels on January 16, 2020, between Energy Commissioner Kadri
Simson, cabinet members Stefano Grassi and Kitti Nyitrai and ENTSOG on ‘European
Deal including possible contribution of gas, hydrogen; energy security’.
Your application concerns the following documents:
nr
Stakeholder
Ares
Date
Title
1
Hydrogen
Ares(2023)5349508 27/09/2022 Briefing
ENER/6812
-
Roundtable
ENTSOG CEO Meeting for
Hydrogen Roundtable
2
ENTSOG
Ares(2023)3873495 17/06/2022 Briefing ENER/6681
3
ENTSOG
Ares(2023)3503919 10/03/2023 Minutes SG+RK meeting with
ENTSOG on 7 March 2023
4
ENTSOG
Ares(2023)3758804 07/03/2023 Exchange of emails re: meeting
SG+RK with ENTSOG on 7
March 2023
5
Energy
Ares(2023)2068070 22/03/2023 Briefing
for
Commissioner
Platform
Simson
for
the
Industry
Industry
Advisory Group of 26 October
Advisory
2022
Group
6
ENTSOG
Ares(2022)6904436 06/10/2022 Minutes of the Commissioner
Simson’s
meeting
with
ENTSOG on 12 October 2021
7
ENTSOG
Ares(2021)6293956 08/10/2021 Mail exchange as follow up to
invite KS – after the EC-
ENTSOG meeting on storage
situation
8
ENTSOG
Ares(2021)6293956 08/10/2021 Introduction by new ENTSOG
President, Bart Jan Hoevers:
Repurposing of the European
gas grids
9
ENTSOG
Ares(2021)6293956 08/10/2021 Press Release
10
ENTSOG
Ares(2021)6293956 08/10/2021 Executive summary
11
ENTSOG
Ares(2021)6018653 04/10/2021 Invitation KS- Introduction by
new ENTSOG President, on
Repurposing of the European
gas grids
12
ENTSOG
Ares(2021)6018653 04/10/2021 Repurposing of the European
gas grids
2
13
ENTSOG
Ares(2023)3725259 30/05/2023 Briefing
for
Commissioner
Simson’s
meeting
with
ENTSOG on 16 January 2020
14
ENTSOG
Ares(2020)933610
13/02/2020 Minutes of the Commissioner
Simson’s
meeting
with
ENTOG’s President Kamphus
and DG Ingwersen on 16
January 2020
Having examined the documents requested under the provisions of Regulation (EC) No
1049/2001 regarding public access to documents, I have come to the conclusion that the
documents n. 1-4, 7-8, 11-12, and 14 listed above may be partially disclosed.
In fact, 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;
-
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 n. 1-4, 7-8, 11-12, and 14, 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. On the contrary, documents 6 and 9 are fully disclosed.
Access is granted to minutes of meetings with external parties. These documents were
drawn up for internal use under the responsibility of the relevant service. They solely
reflect the service’s interpretation of the interventions made and do not set out any
official position of the third parties to which the documents refer. They do not reflect the
position of the Commission and cannot be quoted as such.
In addition, please note that document n. 1 is partially disclosed. In fact, part of the
document has been blanked out as its disclosure is prevented by exception to the right of
access laid down Article 4.2 of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001. In fact, the redacted part of
the document contains sensitive information that could undermine commercial interests of
Vestas.
3
Please note that also document n. 2 is partially disclosed, based on Article 4.1(a) of
Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001. In fact, the redacted parts of the document fall within the
(EU) public security protection.
Moreover, document n. 5 is not disclosed since it is out of scope. In fact, the event of 26
October 2022 that you indicated in your request has not been a meeting between the
Commission and ENTSOG. It has been the meeting of the Industry Advisory Group - one
of the Commission’s expert groups, counting currently 36 members and observers. Please
note that ENSTOG is an observer, not a member of the Industry Advisory Group. In
addition, documents of the 26 October 2022 meeting and other information about the
Industry Advisory Group are available here:
Register of Commission expert groups and
other similar entities (europa.eu).
In addition, please note that document n.10, marked as “confidential”, includes some
sensitive information on the EU gas security of supply situation that could undermine
both international relations and commercial interests of the EU. Therefore, it cannot be
disclosed as its disclosure is prevented by exception to the right of access laid down both
in Article 4(1)(a) and in Article 4.2 of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001.
Finally, please note that some of the documents originating from ENTSOG are outdated.
In accordance with Article 7(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001, you are entitled to make
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 in one of
the following ways:
by asking for a review via your portal1 account (available only for initial requests
submitted via the portal account),
or by mail:
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 sincerely,
1
https://www.ec.europa.eu/transparency/documents-request
4
Ditte Juul Jørgensen
Director General
p.p. Massimo Garribba
Deputy Director General
5
Electronically signed on 18/08/2023 16:07 (UTC+02) in accordance with Article 11 of Commission Decision (EU) 2021/2121
