RIS trilogue result
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:
the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations about the retail investment strategy, announced on 18 December 2025 at 3:20.
Only digital copies are required, please consider the environment by not sending me any physical mail.
I am of course available to clarify my request further if needed.
Sincerely
Peter Teffer
Follow the Money
Overtoom 197
1054HT Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Our reference: 2026-0007
Dear Mr Teffer,
The European Parliament hereby acknowledges receipt of your message, which
was registered on January 8, 2026.
All applications for public access to documents are treated in compliance
with Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 of 30 May 2001 regarding public access
to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents.
In accordance with the above-mentioned Regulation, your application will
be handled within 15 working days upon registration of your request.
Your personal data will be processed in accordance with Regulation (EU)
2018/1725 of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with
regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions,
bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data. A
detailed privacy statement is available [1]here.
The European Parliament reserves the right to ask for additional
information regarding your identity in order to verify compliance with
Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 and the European Parliament’s implementing
measures.
Your attention is drawn to the fact that you have lodged your application
via the AsktheEU.org website, which is a private website not officially
related to the European Parliament. Therefore, the European Parliament
cannot be held accountable for any technical issues or problems linked to
the use of this system.
In addition, please note that any personal data that you provide by using
AsktheEU.org website may be disclosed to the general public and visible on
this private website. The European Parliament cannot be held responsible
for such disclosure. Should you need to communicate directly to Parliament
any personal data and would like to avoid public disclosure, you may do so
from your private email address by using the following functional mailbox
address: AccesDocs(at)europarl.europa.eu
Best regards,
TRANSPARENCY UNIT
European Parliament
Directorate-General for the Presidency
Directorate-General for Interinstitutional Affairs and Legislative
Coordination
[2][European Parliament request email]
[3]www.europarl.europa.eu/RegistreWeb
References
Visible links
1. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegistreW...
2. mailto:[European Parliament request email]
3. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegistreWeb
Our reference: 2026-0007
Dear Mr Teffer,
Thank you for contacting the Transparency Unit of the European Parliament.
Following your application submitted under [1]Regulation (EC) No
1049/2001, in which you requested access to the provisional agreement
resulting from interinstitutional negotiations about the retail investment
strategy, announced on 18 December 2025 at 3:20, we would like to inform
you that we do not hold any document falling within the scope of your
request. Indeed, the provisional agreement referred to in that press
release has not yet been formally adopted.
On this basis, Parliament considers your request handled and the procedure
closed. Should you wish to submit any new requests for specific Parliament
documents, [2]please do not hesitate to come back to us.
Kind regards,
TRANSPARENCY UNIT
European Parliament
Directorate-General for the Presidency
Directorate-General for Interinstitutional Affairs and Legislative
Coordination
[3][European Parliament request email]
[4]www.europarl.europa.eu/RegistreWeb
References
Visible links
1. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/P...
2. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegistreW...
3. mailto:[European Parliament request email]
4. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegistreWeb
Dear Madam, Sir,
Please pass this on to the person who reviews confirmatory applications.
On 12 January 2026, the Parliament denied access to the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations about the retail investment strategy.
It said it "[did] not hold any document falling within the scope of [my] request", and explained that "the provisional agreement referred to in that press release has not yet been formally adopted".
I am filing a confirmatory application against that decision (Reference number 2026-0007).
I am challenging the claim that Parliament does not hold any document falling within the scope of my request.
It is important to stress that I had not asked for a "formally adopted" text, I had asked for the provisional agreement.
In its own press release[1], published on 18 December 2025, the European Parliament said it "has struck an informal deal with Council". Introducing what was in that deal, Parliament wrote: "According to the draft legislation agreed [..]" It also wrote: "Negotiators made changes to the key information document (KID) [..]"
This provisional agreement is not some verbal agreement between the co-legislators, it is a written document. The way Parliament refers to the informal deal in the press release, makes it clear that it is a written document.
Regulation 1049/2001 applies to "any content whatever its medium (written on paper or stored in electronic form or as a sound, visual or audiovisual recording) concerning a matter relating to the policies, activities and decisions falling within the institution's sphere of responsibility". Whether or not the document is registered is another matter, but I cannot believe that the Parliament does not hold the document I requested.
By stressing that "the provisional agreement referred to in that press release has not yet been formally adopted", Parliament seemed to suggest that this is relevant to my request. It is not. It sounds like an excuse not to release documents that reminds me of the pre De Capitani era.
But let me remind you: In the case of De Capitani v Parliament (T-540/15), the Court clearly said that the preliminary nature of legal texts in documents is irrelevant. In a system based on the principle of democratic legitimacy, co-legislators must be held accountable for their actions to the public; citizens must be in a position to follow in detail the decision-making process within the institutions taking part in the legislative procedures and to have access to all relevant information; and that public opinion is perfectly capable of understanding the preliminary nature of certain information.
The Parliament's decision to deny access blatantly disregards EU jurisprudence and is unworthy of an institution that boasts having "earned a reputation as a dedicated sponsor of people’s basic rights and of democracy"[2].
Sincerely,
Peter Teffer
Dear Mr Teffer,
Thank you for your message of 28 January 2026, by which you expressed your
intention to submit a confirmatory application in relation to your request
submitted under Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 and registered under
reference 2026-0007.
Before proceeding with the treatment of your submission as a confirmatory
application, please allow us to clarify our initial reply, as we realised
that the wording used was imprecise.
As stated in Parliament’s press release, an informal deal on the retail
investment strategy (RIS) was struck with the Council and announced on
December 18th. However, this informal agreement was not yet formalised in
a written text. For that reason, our response stated that Parliament does
not hold any document falling within the scope of your request, since no
such document existed.
We apologise for any confusion our initial response may have caused, and
hope that the additional information provided helps clarifying the matter.
Kind regards,
TRANSPARENCY UNIT
European Parliament
Directorate-General for the Presidency
Directorate-General for Interinstitutional Affairs and Legislative
Coordination
[1][European Parliament request email]
[2]www.europarl.europa.eu/RegistreWeb
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[European Parliament request email]
2. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegistreWeb
Dear Madam, Sir,
Thank you for your attempt to clarify your initialy reply. However, I am afraid that you have only created more confusion.
What do you mean, "this informal agreement was not yet formalised in a written text"? How then, have the co-legislators recorded what they have agreed? Was everything done only verbally? Have civil servants and MEPs memorised the draft legislation by heart? Did they create a song? I'm sorry, but your reply makes very little sense.
I do expect you to continue handling my confirmatory application, and I would ask that you treat it seriously.
Sincerely
Peter Teffer
Our reference: 2026-0007C
Dear Mr Teffer,
The European Parliament hereby acknowledges receipt of your Confirmatory
application, which was registered on February 2, 2026.
All applications for public access to documents are treated in compliance
with Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 of 30 May 2001 regarding public access
to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents.
In accordance with the above-mentioned Regulation, your application will
be handled within 15 working days upon registration of your request.
Your personal data will be processed in accordance with Regulation (EU)
2018/1725 of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with
regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions,
bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data. A
detailed privacy statement is available [1]here.
The European Parliament reserves the right to ask for additional
information regarding your identity in order to verify compliance with
Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 and the European Parliament’s implementing
measures.
Your attention is drawn to the fact that you have lodged your application
via the AsktheEU.org website, which is a private website not officially
related to the European Parliament. Therefore, the European Parliament
cannot be held accountable for any technical issues or problems linked to
the use of this system.
In addition, please note that any personal data that you provide by using
AsktheEU.org website may be disclosed to the general public and visible on
this private website. The European Parliament cannot be held responsible
for such disclosure. Should you need to communicate directly to Parliament
any personal data and would like to avoid public disclosure, you may do so
from your private email address by using the following functional mailbox
address: AccesDocs(at)europarl.europa.eu
Best regards,
TRANSPARENCY UNIT
European Parliament
Directorate-General for the Presidency
Directorate-General for Interinstitutional Affairs and Legislative
Coordination
[2][European Parliament request email]
[3]www.europarl.europa.eu/RegistreWeb
References
Visible links
1. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegistreW...
2. mailto:[European Parliament request email]
3. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegistreWeb
Our reference: 2026-0007C
Dear Mr Teffer,
The time limit for responding to your confirmatory application for public
access to documents under Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001, as registered on
January 8, 2026, expires on February 23, 2026.
However, our consultations are taking more time than expected, so that
Parliament must exceptionally extend the time limit provided by Article
8(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 by a further 15 working days in
accordance with Article 8(2) of that Regulation in order to reply to your
confirmatory application.
Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience. We thank you for your
understanding.
Best regards,
TRANSPARENCY UNIT
European Parliament
Directorate-General for the Presidency
Directorate-General for Interinstitutional Affairs and Legislative
Coordination
[1][European Parliament request email]
[2]www.europarl.europa.eu/RegistreWeb
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[European Parliament request email]
2. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegistreWeb
Our reference: 2026-0007C
Dear Mr Teffer,
The time limit for responding to your confirmatory application for public
access to documents under Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001, as registered on
February 2, 2026, expires today, on March 16, 2026.
However, the decision concerning your application is still being prepared,
and will be sent to you by post without delay once finalised.
Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience. We thank you for your
understanding.
Kind regards,
TRANSPARENCY UNIT
European Parliament
Directorate-General for the Presidency
Directorate-General for Interinstitutional Affairs and Legislative
Coordination
[1][European Parliament request email]
[2]www.europarl.europa.eu/RegistreWeb
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[European Parliament request email]
2. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegistreWeb
Peter left an annotation ()
In a letter dated 23 March 2026, the European Parliament confirms that Parliament "does not hold any document falling within the scope of your application".
It explains that the agreement "consisted partly of a verbal confirmation of draft agreements on specific provisions of the legislative proposals reached in previous trilogues [..] and partly of a verbal agreement regarding to others aspects of the proposals."