Ref. Ares(2025)2502071 - 28/03/2025
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
SECRETARIAT-GENERAL

  Deputy Secretary-General - Chief Operating Officer
Brussels
SG.C.1
Frédéric Baldan
Subject:
Your application for access to documents – EASE 2025/0153
Dear Mr Baldan,
I refer to your message of 10 January 2025, registered on 13 January 2025, in which you
make a request for access to documents in accordance with Article 6(1) of Regulation (EC)
No 1049/2001 regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission
documents1 (hereafter ‘Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001’).
Please accept my apologies for the delay in providing you with a reply to your request.
1.
SCOPE OF YOUR REQUEST
In your application of 10 January 2025 you requested access to, I quote:
“[…][A] copy of all the administrative documents relating to Ms Ursula von der Leyen's
delegation
of
powers
to
manage
the
X
account
https://urldefense.
com/v3/__https://x.com/vonderleyen/__;!!DOxrgLBm!CuKpMM-
zxemY6h2MZYhNTfPlJdm-xE1zjvWF_WimBSNKAinUz7GpT8c7uXqswk-
jivjTp8okXmv8Z_8hrKjh_VtNNf51GosxIBbR$ over the period January 2025.
In particular:
-  Electronic messages exchanged between Mrs von der Leyen and any person(s) she
may have mandated,
-  All electronic messages relating to these publications on X,
-  Any mandates given by Ms von der Leyen to third parties to represent her and/or
publish on her behalf on social networks,
It seems to me that this is a serious situation as it is likely to demonstrate usurpation of
identity, title and functions, as well as a massive lie aimed at deceiving European citizens.

1   OJ L 145, 31.5.2001, p. 43.

Commission européenne/Europese Commissie, 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel, BELGIQUE/BELGIË – Tel. +32 22991111

Please reassure me quickly. These documents are easy to identify and there are not many
of them. If you wish to extend, please tell me what searches have been carried out up to
the extension request.”
[ORIGINAL: “[…]  [C]opie de l'ensemble des actes administratifs qui se rapportent à la
délégation de pouvoirs de Madame Ursula von der Leyen pour la gestion du compte  X
https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://x.com/vonderleyen/__;!!DOxrgLBm!CuKpMM-
zxemY6h2MZYhNTfPlJdm-xE1zjvWF_WimBSNKAinUz7GpT8c7uXqswk-
jivjTp8okXmv8Z_8hrKjh_VtNNf51GosxIBbR$ sur la période du mois de janvier 2025.
Notamment :
-  Les  messages  électroniques  échangés  entre  Madame  von  der  Leyen  et  la(les)
personne(s) éventuellement mandatée(s),
-  Tous les messages électroniques relatifs à ces publications sur X,
-  Les  éventuels  mandats  donnés  par  Madame  von  der  Leyen  à  des  tiers  pour  la
représenter et/ou publier en son nom sur les réseaux sociaux,
Il  me  semble  que  cette  situation  est  grave  tant  elle  est  susceptible  de  démontrer  une
usurpation  d'identité,  de  titre  et  fonctions  en  encore  un  mensonge  d'ampleur  visant  à
tromper  les  citoyens  européens.  Merci  donc  de  me  rassurer  à  ce  propos  et  de  manière
rapide.  Ces  documents  sont  simples  à  identifier  et  peu  nombreux,  si  vous  souhaitez
proroger, merci de m'indiquer quelles recherches ont été effectuées jusqu'à la demande de
prorogation.”]
2.
ASSESSMENT  AND  CONCLUSIONS  UNDER  REGULATION  (EC)  NO
1049/2001
Following  a  search  conducted  by  the  European  Commission’s  services  responsible,  we
regret  to  inform  you  that  the  Secretariat-General  of  the  European  Commission  has  not
identified any documents as falling under the scope of your request.
As  specified  in  Article  2(3)  of  Regulation  (EC)  No  1049/2001,  the  right  of  access  as
defined  in  that  regulation  applies  only  to  existing  documents  in  the  possession  of  the
institution. In this respect, your attention is drawn to the judgment of the Court of Justice
in  Case  C-127/13  P  (Strack  v  European  Commission),  according  to  which  ‘[n]either
Article 11 of Regulation 1049/2001 nor the obligation of assistance in Article 6(2) thereof,
can oblige an institution to create a document for which it has been asked to grant access
but which does not exist’2.
The  above-mentioned  conclusion  has  been  confirmed  in  Case  C-491/15  P  (Typke  v
European  Commission),  where  the  Court  of  Justice  held  that  ‘the  right  of  access  to
documents of the institutions applies only to existing documents in the possession of the

2   Judgment  of  the  Court  of  Justice  of  2  October  2014,  Strack  v  European  Commission,  C-127/13  P,
EU:C:2014:2250, paragraph 46.
2

institution concerned and […] Regulation [(EC)] No 1049/2001 may not be relied upon to
oblige an institution to create a document which does not exist3.
The General Court held in Case T-468/16 (Verein Deutsche Sprache v Commission) that
there  exists  a  presumption  of  lawfulness  attached  to  the  declaration  by  the  institution
asserting  that  documents  do  not  exist4.  This  presumption  continues  to  apply,  unless  the
applicant can rebut it by relevant and consistent evidence5. In this regard, a mere suspicion
that there must be a[nother] document does not suffice to put in question the presumption
of legality of the institution’s statement6. The Court of Justice, ruling on an appeal in Case
C-440/18 P, has confirmed these conclusions7.
Please note that, as a leader, President von der Leyen has a team for social media in the
Commission  Spokespersons’  Service,  whose  job  it  is  to  post  on  her  behalf.  The
Spokespersons’ Service (‘SPP’) is the official voice of the European Commission vis-à-
vis the media. It organises press conferences, briefings and is the main point of contact for
media organisations. More information in this regard can be found on the SPP website8.
The  SPP,  which  is  part  of  the  Directorate-General  for  Communication,  supports  the
President  and  the  Commissioners  to  communicate  effectively  to  the  press.  On  political
communication matters, the European Commission Chief Spokesperson reports directly to
the  President  of  the  European  Commission.  The  European  Commission  Chief
Spokesperson leads the overall activities of the SPP. For all other matters, she reports to
the Director-General of the Directorate-General for Communication
Press  releases  and  other  press  material  are  prepared  and  issued  by  the  SPP,  in  close
cooperation  with  the  Cabinet  Communication  Advisers.  Where  required,  these  are
supported by additional materials such as press packages, factsheets, webpages or audio-
visual products, produced in association with the relevant teams in the Directorate-General
for  Communication.  More  information  on  the  Working  Methods  of  the  European
Commission  can  be  found  under  the  Communication  from  the  President  of  the
Commission P(2024)59.

3   Judgment  of  the  Court  of  Justice  of  11  January  2017,  Typke  v  European  Commission,  C-491/15  P,
EU:C:2017:5, paragraph 31.
4   Judgment of the General Court of 23 April 2018,  Verein Deutsche Sprache v Commission, T-468/16,
EU:T:2018:207, paragraphs 35-36.
5    Ibid.
6  Ibid, paragraph 37.
7   Order of the Court of Justice of 30 January 2019, Verein Deutsche Sprache v Commission, C-440/18 P,
ECLI:EU:C:2019:77, paragraph 14.
8  https://commission.europa.eu/about/contact/press-services/press-contacts/commissions-spokespersons-
service_en
9    Communication  from  the  President  to  the  Commission  –  The  Working  Methods  of  the  European
Commission, P(2024) 5, Brussels, 1.12.2024

3

Finally,  please note that the  link to the video of the midday press  briefing of 6 January
2025, where the President’s sickness was announced, can be found on the website of the
Audiovisual Service of the European Commission under ID: I-26570910.
Given  that  no  such  documents,  corresponding  to  the  description  provided  in  your
application, are held by the European Commission, the European Commission is not in a
position to fulfil your request.
3.
MEANS OF REDRESS
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 within 15 working days upon receipt
of this letter to the Secretariat-General of the Commission:
European Commission
Secretariat-General
Unit C.1 - “Transparency, document management & access to documents”
BERL 7/076
1049 Bruxelles/Brussel

or by e-mail to: xxxxxxxxxx@xx.xxxxxx.xx
If your initial request was submitted via the EASE-portal, you can submit your review via
your EASE account.
Yours sincerely,
Pascal Leardini
Deputy Secretary-General


10  https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-265709
4
Signé par voie électronique le 28/03/2025 08:30 (UTC+01) conformément à l’article 11 de la décision (UE) 2021/2121 de la Commission

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