Notifications received regarding sanctions against Iranian entities under the EU Blocking Statute since 2021.
Dear Sir or Madam,
under the right of access to documents in the EU treaties, as developed in Regulation 1049/2001, I am requesting documents which contain the following information:
I am conducting research into the application of the EU Blocking Statute, particularly regarding notifications received concerning sanctions against Iranian entities. I understand from the 2021 European Commission report on the Blocking Statute (COM(2021) 535 final) that a number of cases were recorded up until that point.
Could you kindly provide documents that confirm if any further notifications have been received since 2021 regarding entities or individuals connected to Iran, especially in cases involving businesses operating within the EU? Any available information or references to recent cases would be greatly appreciated.
Best regards.
Dear Sir or Madam,
We are writing to you concerning your request for access to documents sent
on 26/09/2024 and registered on 27/09/2024 under case number 2024/5030.
Since you have not indicated your postal address, we are not able to start
handling your request. The 15 working days to reply to your request will
start running only when you send us your postal address.
You can send your postal address by replying to this e-mail. If we do not
receive your reply we may close this case.
Please note that you can submit a request for access to Commission
documents via the portal [1]'Request a Commission document', which does
not require you to indicate your postal address.
Why do we need your personal postal address?
Since 1 April 2014, the submission of a postal address became a mandatory
feature when submitting an application for access to Commission documents
via an e-mail. We would like to explain why we need your postal address in
order to register and handle your application for access to documents when
submitted via e-mail:
• Firstly, to obtain legal certainty as regards the date you received
the European Commission reply to your application for public access to
documents. Article 297 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the
European Union (TFEU) states that 'decisions which specify to whom
they are addressed, shall be notified to those to whom they are
addressed and shall take effect upon such notification.' In line with
this provision, if the Commission does not grant full access to the
requested documents, it notifies the reply to the applicant via
registered mail with acknowledgement of receipt or via delivery
service. This requires an indication of a valid postal address by the
applicant;
• Secondly, to apply correctly the [2]Data Protection Regulation (EU)
2018/1725. Knowing whether the applicant is an EU resident (or not) is
necessary for deciding which conditions shall apply for the
transmissions of personal data to applicants for access to documents.
These conditions are not the same for recipients established in the
Union and for recipients in third countries. As the vast majority of
the documents requested contain personal data, the Commission cannot
ensure the correct application of the data protection rules in the
absence of a postal address;
• Thirdly, to apply correctly [3]Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001. Article
4(1)(b) of that Regulation refers to the protection of the privacy and
integrity of the individual and has to be applied in line with the
Data Protection Regulation;
• Fourthly, to protect the interest of other citizens and safeguard the
principle of good administration. The Commission has to treat all
citizens equally by ensuring that the legal framework for public
access to documents is respected. For example, it has to verify
whether Article 6(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 is being evaded
by introducing several requests under different identities. Indeed, in
its Ryanair judgment ([4]EU:T:2010:511), the General Court confirmed
that Article 6(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 cannot be evaded by
splitting an application into several, seemingly separate, parts. In
addition, the Commission has to make sure that the legal framework is
respected and the right of access to documents is not abused by making
requests under an invented identity.
The considerations above show that the request for and the consequent
processing of the applicant's postal address is not only appropriate, but
also strictly necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the
public interest within the meaning of Article 5(1)(a) of Data Protection
Regulation, namely providing a smooth and effective access to documents.
Yours faithfully,
Directorate-General for Trade - Access to Documents
European Commission
References
Visible links
1. https://www.ec.europa.eu/transparency/do...
2. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/...
3. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/...
4. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/...
Dear all.
thank you for your email. I understand the necessity of providing a postal address in order to proceed with my request.
Please find my postal address below:
[name removed]
[Personally Identifiable Information removed]
[Personally Identifiable Information removed]
[Personally Identifiable Information removed]
I look forward to receiving further communication regarding case number 2024/5030.
Yours faithfully,
[name removed]
Dear Sir or Madam,
We hereby acknowledge the receipt of your request for access to documents
sent on 26/09/2024 and registered on 08/10/2024 under the case number
2024/5030.
We will handle your request within 15 working days as of the date of
registration. The time-limit expires on 29/10/2024. 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,
Directorate-General for Trade - Access to Documents
European Commission
References
Visible links
1. https://ec.europa.eu/info/principles-and...
Dear Mr Jekta,
We are writing concerning your request for access to Commission documents
registered on 8/10/2024 under case number 2024/5030.
We are currently working on your 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 29/10/2024.
Therefore, in line with Article 7(3) 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 19/11/2024.
We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
Kind regards,
FISMA
References
Visible links
1. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/...
Dear FISMA Team,
I am writing to follow up on my request for access to Commission documents under case number 2024/5030, submitted on 8 October 2024. As per your last update, the deadline was extended to 19 November 2024 in line with Article 7(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001.
However, it is now 10 December 2024, and I have not yet received any further communication or the requested documents. This delay is impacting my ability to proceed with important work that depends on this information.
Could you please provide an update on the status of my request and indicate when I can expect to receive the documents? If there are any issues or additional steps required from my side to expedite the process, kindly let me know.
I appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to your prompt response.
Best regards
Link: [1]File-List
Link: [2]themeData
Link: [3]colorSchemeMapping
[4]RE:/FW: EASE 2024/5030 - RE: access to documents request -
Notifications received regarding sanctions against Iranian entities under
the EU Blocking Statute since 2021 - Ares(2024)8801498 (Please use this
link only if you are an Ares user – Svp, utilisez ce lien exclusivement si
vous êtes un(e) utilisateur d’Ares)
Dear Mr Jekta,
Thank you for your message, which we, in line with your intention,
herewith forward/copy to the colleagues of DG FISMA in charge of the reply
to your initial request.
Kind regards,
DG TRADE Public Access to Documents Team