EUROPEAN COMMISSION SECRETARIAT-GENERAL Directorate B SG-B-2 Openness, access to documents, relations with civil society

Brussels, 24 May 2002

SGB2/MAB/ig/D(2002) 330194

Mr Walter KEIM
Torshaugvej 2C
N-7020 Trondheim

By e-mail :walter.keim@gmail.com

Subject: National freedom of information

Dear Mr. Keim,

Thank you for your e-mail of 26 April 2002 to President Prodi, who has asked me to reply on his behalf, as was already the case with your e-mail of 18 April 2002 on the same subject.

In this respect, may I remind you of my letter dated 8 May 2002, in reply to your e-mail to President Prodi dated 18 April 2002. I must reiterate what was said in that letter. Even if the Commission shares your view, that access to official information should be granted to citizens, it is beyond the Commission’s remit to take any form of action against Member States that fail to pass laws on freedom of information and there is no way in which the EU institutions could compel Germany to adopt such rules.

The answer to your preceding e-mail has been placed in the President’s register, as will this one, and I, therefore, consider correspondence on this subject closed.

Yours sincerely,

Maria de los Angeles Benitez
Head of Unit