Special adviser Juncker contracts
Dear Madam, Sir,
Under the right of access to documents in the EU treaties, as developed in Regulation 1049/2001, I am requesting all documents related to the (re)appointment(s) of Mr Jean-Claude Juncker as a special adviser, including but not limited to:
- the first contract Mr Juncker signed to become a special adviser in 2019;
- all subsequent contracts with Mr Juncker to extend his role as special adviser, between 2019 until and including 2025, including the specific dates they were drafted and signed;
- the form Appointment of a Special Adviser;
- the notification to DG ADMIN;
- the indication of the tasks to be carried out, the expected number of days’ work and an estimate of mission appropriations, as well as the proposed rate of remuneration;
- all documents related to expenses: reimbursements for missions from 1 December 2019.
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
Dear Sir or Madam,
We hereby acknowledge the receipt of your request for access to documents
sent on 09/06/2025 and registered on 10/06/2025 under the case number
2025/3024.
We will handle your request within 15 working days as of the date of
registration. The time-limit expires on 01/07/2025. 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 Human Resources and Security - Access to Documents
European Commission
References
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1. https://ec.europa.eu/info/principles-and...
Dear Mr Teffer,
We are writing concerning your request for access to Commission documents
registered on 10/06/2025 under case number EASE 2025/3024.
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 01/07/2025.
The application concerns documents held by different Services, which must
be consulted.
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 23/07/2025.
We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
Kind regards,
HR.E.1
References
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1. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/...
Dear Madam, Sir,
Please pass this on to the person who reviews confirmatory applications.
I refer to my access to documents case registered under case number 2025/3024, filed on 10 June 2025.
On 18 July 2025, DG HR.E.1 informed me that it will "not be able to provide a complete response" by 23 July 2025, without giving a specific new date by which it will reply.
This means the institution will fail to reply within the prescribed time limit. According to Regulation 1049/2001, this "shall be considered as a negative reply".
I am therefore filing a confirmatory application with regards to my request.
Sincerely,
Peter Teffer
Dear Sir or Madam,
We hereby acknowledge the receipt of your confirmatory request for case
2025/3024, sent on 18/07/2025 and registered on 18/07/2025.
We will handle your confirmatory request within 15 working days as of the
date of registration. The time-limit expires on 08/08/2025. 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
Hello,
Please find attached a message concerning your request for access to
Commission documents registered under the above case number 2025/3024.
Please acknowledge the receipt of this message by return email.
Kind regards,
HR.E.1
Dear applicant,
Please find attached a message concerning your request for access to
Commission documents registered under the above case number 2025/3024.
Kind regards,
Secretariat-General - Access to documents
European Commission
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 request registered under case number 2025/3024.
The Commission has refused to provide access to most documents falling under my request, without providing an exact list of the documents falling under my request.
It has done so with the arguments that seem opportunistic rather than genuine. The reason why I conclude this, is that less than two months ago, the European Commission released very similar documents related to a different unpaid special adviser.
In case number 2025/2740, the Commission was apparently able in its initial reply to release a range of documents related to special adviser Klaus Welle.
It is unfathomable why the public disclosure of Special Adviser Juncker's contracts (the appointment form, the level of remuneration, the number of days of work and the estimated number of mission days) is impossible without undermining the privacy and integrity of those individuals within the meaning of Article 4(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001, while at the same time it was possible to do the same for Special Adviser Welle.
Unless the Commission is arguing that Mr Juncker's privacy and integrity should be protected by a higher standard than that of Mr Welle.
Regardless of this inconsistency, I will make the case why it is in the public interest for the requested information to become public.
Until recently, the European Commission had said in public statements that Jean-Claude Juncker's contracts as special adviser were for a five-year period. The Commission did so on its website, in the College minutes, and via spokespersons talking to the media.
But when I started asking the Commission about the length of the contract's compatibility with the Staff Regulation & CEOS rule on special advisers stating such contracts “shall be for a term not exceeding two years”, the Commission changed its website, and a spokesperson claimed that Juncker's current contract was for two years. The Commission has refused to explain why initially Juncker's contract(s) had a duration of five years.
Except for that recent press statement, all other, publicly available evidence suggests that the Commission has broken its own rules on the length of Juncker's contracts. It is in the public interest for an investigative journalist as myself to be able to determine the length of Juncker's contracts, and whether these were drafted against the Commission's own rules.
As for the special adviser's mission expenses, the Commission has replied: "With regard to the information concerning Mr Juncker expenses as Special Adviser to which you have requested access, I must inform you that Mr Juncker is not remunerated." But that is irrelevant. A remuneration is given for the work, expenses are paid separately. Moreover, a Commission spokesperson has informed me: "Mr Juncker has received reimbursements for missions for a total of just over 7000 € since 1/12/2019." That information must be available in documents somewhere. Since it is taxpayer money, the public interest in access it, should be self-explanatory.
I am of course available to clarify my confirmatory application further if needed. I would also like to request that the SG provides a list of documents falling under the scope of my request, and includes metadata like dates in that list.
Sincerely
Peter Teffer
Follow the Money
Overtoom 197
1054HT Amsterdam
The Netherlands
PS: may I point out the inconsistency in the Commission arguing that "public disclosure of the Special Adviser’s [..] level of remuneration [..] would undermine the privacy and integrity of those individuals within the meaning of Article 4(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001", while in the same letter the Commission states "Mr Juncker is not remunerated". And may I also point out the ridiculousness of the Commission's redaction of minutes which are already pro-actively made public in full?
Dear Sir or Madam,
We hereby acknowledge the receipt of your confirmatory request for case
2025/3024, sent on 11/08/2025 and registered on 11/08/2025.
We will handle your confirmatory request within 15 working days as of the
date of registration. The time-limit expires on 02/09/2025. 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 Mr Teffer,
We are writing concerning your confirmatory request for access to
Commission documents for case EASE 2025/3024, registered on 11 August
2025.
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. Due to the need to conduct internal
consultations we will not be able to send you the reply within the
prescribed time limit expiring today.
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 23 September 2025.
We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
Kind regards,
SG.A.2 Access to Documents Team
References
Visible links
1. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/...
Dear Madam, Sir,
This is to kindly remind you of my confirmatory request for case 2025/3024, registered on 11 August 2025.
The extended time-limit to handly my request expires today, 23 September 2025. After that, there is no more legal basis for any further delay.
I am therefore expecting a reply by the end of today.
All the best,
Peter Teffer
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[4]access to documents request - Special adviser Juncker contracts -
Ares(2025)8015980 (Please use this link only if you are an Ares user –
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Dear Mr Teffer,
Thank you for your correspondence enquiring on the status of your request
for access to documents in case EASE 2025/3024.
We also refer to our correspondence of 2 September 2025, by which the time
limit for replying to your applications was extended by 15 working days,
pursuant to Article 8(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001. We are aware
that this deadline has expired yesterday. However, we are unfortunately
not in a position to provide you with our final reply at this stage, as
you demand.
Please note that the replies to confirmatory applications are formal
Commission decisions. The internal decision-making process involves the
consultation of several services, including the Directorate-General
responsible at initial stage, in this case the Directorate-General for
Human Resources and Security, as well as the Legal Service. Only after
concluding all consultations may a decision be formally adopted within the
Secretariat-General.
We can inform you that the internal consultations have advanced, however
currently they are still not completed and, while we try to conclude the
internal process as soon as possible, we cannot give any concrete
indication of when you can expect to receive the reply. Nevertheless, we
would like to reassure you that we are doing our utmost in order to ensure
the swiftest processing of your application.
We regret this delay and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this
may cause.
Yours sincerely,
SG.A2 - Access to Documents Team - cr
Dear Madam, Sir,
This is to remind you of my confirmatory request for case 2025/3024, registered on 11 August 2025, for which the extended time-limit to reply has expired on 23 September 2025.
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
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2. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/...
3. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/...
Peter left an annotation ()
Complaint submitted to European Ombudsman on 24 September 2025.