QCINED grant application
Dear Madam, Sir,
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:
All documents related to the Digital Europe Programme project 101091656 - QCINED - QCINED: TOWARDS A NATIONAL QUANTUM COMMUNICATION INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE NETHERLANDS (budget reference JAG.1147397.1), including but not limited to the grant application forms, analysis of the application, decision to provide the project the grant, e-mails between the applicant and the Commission, and (interim) progress reports.
If you require additional clarification regarding my request, do not hesitate to contact me.
Please note I prefer to receive the documents and any communication in digital format, and not by physical mail. Let's protect the environment.
Sincerely,
Peter Teffer
Follow the Money
Overtoom 197
1054HT Amsterdam
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 request for access to documents
sent on 02/02/2024 and registered on 03/02/2024 under the case number
2024/0677.
We will handle your request within 15 working days as of the date of
registration. The time-limit expires on 26/02/2024. 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,
Secretariat-General - Access to Documents
European Commission
References
Visible links
1. https://ec.europa.eu/info/principles-and...
Dear Sir,
We refer to your request for access to documents, registered under the
reference number EASE 2024/0677.
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 must 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 18 March 2024.
We apologise for this delay and for any inconvenience this may cause.
Yours faithfully,
DG CONNECT Access to Documents Team
Dear Madam, Sir,
I refer to my access to documents request registered under the reference number EASE 2024/0677. The extended time limit has expired two weeks ago. There is no legal basis for any further delay. Please reply to my application without any further delay.
All the best
Peter Teffer
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/...
[1]RE: access to documents request - QCINED grant application -
Ares(2024)2444907 (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 Sir,
Thank you for the reminder.
You will receive the reply to your application as soon as possible.
We apologise for the delay and for any inconvenience this may cause.
Yours faithfully,
DG CONNECT Access to Documents Team
European Commission
DG Connect – ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS
Rue de la Loi, 51
B-1049 Brussels/Belgium
Hello,
Please find attached a message concerning your request for access to
Commission documents registered under the above case number 2024/0677.
Please acknowledge the receipt of this message by return email.
Kind regards,
DG CONNECT Access to documents Team
Dear Madam, Sir,
Please pass this on to the person who reviews confirmatory applications.
I am filing a confirmatory application with regards to my access to documents on the 'QCINED grant application', registered on 3 February 2024 as EASE 2024/0677.
As regards the partial disclosure of documents 1-4:
I accept that personal data like names of Commission staff has to be redacted to protect the privacy and integrity of the individual, but I am not convinced about the need to redact "confidential and business sensitive information relating to financial data of the entity concerned, which are not publicly available" from documents 1-3. The documents related to recipients of a Digital Europe grant, i.e. entities who receive money from the European budget. The budget is funded by its taxpayers, who have a right to know in detail how their money is being spent. It seems likely to me that the public interest in transparency of these documents is greater than the commercial interests. Specifically, the redaction of amounts seems unnecessary, since there already is some transparency of these amounts via the Financial Transparency System.
As regards documents 5-18 to which access was completely denied:
The Commission states that documents 6-13 and 15 contain sensitive information from a public security perspective. While I do not dispute this may be the case, I find it hard to believe that the exception regarding public security would cover the documents in their entirety. The names of some of the documents (Declaration of Ownership and Control, Summary for QCIned Project; Ethics table ;Grant Agreement, DG CONNECT, Project: 101091656 — QCINed, Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL)) indicate that not everything in those documents likely is only about public security. I therefore urge the Commission to consider at least partial access.
As for Protection of the public interests as regards the financial, economic or monetary policy of the EU or a Member State: the Commission refers to Judgment of the Court of first Instance of 25 April 2007 in case T-264/04 , WWF European Policy Programme v Council, ECLI:EU:T:2007:114, paragraph 40. But it only quotes part of that paragraph. Another part of that paragraph stated: "...the Court’s review of the legality of the institutions’ decisions refusing access to documents on the basis of the mandatory exceptions relating to the public interest must be limited to verifying whether the procedural rules and the duty to state reasons have been complied with, the facts have been accurately stated, and whether there has been a manifest error of assessment of the facts or a misuse of powers".
I disagree that the Commission in its letter has fully complied with the duty to state reasons, and convincingly argued why the risk that disclosure would seriously affect the public interest as regards the financial, economic and monetary policy of the EU, is real and
non-hypothetical.
In fact, the Commission does not state any original reason why the public interest as regards the financial, economic and monetary policy of the EU would be seriously affected. All it does, is refer to "the reasons stated above under 3.B.(i)". But those reasons related to the public interest as regards public security. It is inconceivable that the exact same reasons why disclosure would affect public security, are also relevant and 100% applicable to the public interest as regards the financial, economic and monetary policy of the EU. This is simply lazy agrumentation.
As for documents 17-18, Protection of the decision-making process, it is difficult to determine whether this exception was appropriately used without knowing the information that is withheld. However, it would not be the first time that the Commission overzealously uses this exception. I remind the Commission that the Court has often said that in a democracy citizens are very well capable of distinguishing between preliminary views and final decisions, and to put the various steps in a decision-making process in a proper context.
Finally, some words on the public interest. I am an investigative journalist, and I would like to see this documents to determine the effective use of EU money. Especially since the recipients of the grant also receive funds from other (EU) public sources, this makes my investigation publicly relevant.
In short, I request a full review of the documents, with a view to potentially releasing them in full - or at least with privacy-related information redacted - or otherwise partially, but with adequate and substantive reasoning.
Sincerely
Peter Teffer
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
2024/0677, sent on 05/04/2024 and registered on 05/04/2024.
We will handle your confirmatory request within 15 working days as of the
date of registration. The time-limit expires on 26/04/2024. 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 Sir,
We are writing concerning your confirmatory request for access to
Commission documents for case 2024/677 registered on 05/04/2024.
We are currently working on your confirmatory 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 26/04/2024.
Therefore, in line with Article 8(2) 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 22/05/2024.
We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
Kind regards,
Secretariat-General of the European Commission
Unit SG.C.1 – Transparency, Document management and Access to documents
References
Visible links
1. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/...
Dear Madam, Sir,
I refer to my confirmatory request case 2024/677 registered on 05/04/2024. The extendeed time limit expired yesterday, so there is no basis for any further delay. Please respond without delay.
best
Peter Teffer
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/...