Συμβούλιο της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης Βρυξέλλες, 10 Μαρτίου 2017 (OR. en)

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1 Conseil UE Συμβούλιο της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης Βρυξέλλες, 10 Μαρτίου 2017 (OR. en) 5963/17 LIMITE INF 12 API 7 PUBLIC ΣΗΜΕΙΩΜΑ ΣΗΜΕΙΟΥ «Ι/A» Αποστολέας: Ομάδα «Ενημέρωση» Αποδέκτης: Επιτροπή των Μονίμων Αντιπροσώπων (2ο Τμήμα) / Συμβούλιο αριθ. προηγ. εγγρ.: 5962/17 Θέμα: Πρόσβαση του κοινού στα έγγραφα - Επιβεβαιωτική αίτηση αριθ. 01/c/01/17 Επισυνάπτεται για τις αντιπροσωπίες σχέδιο απάντησης του Συμβουλίου στην επιβεβαιωτική αίτηση αριθ. 01/c/01/17 που εγκρίθηκε ομόφωνα από την Ομάδα με γραπτή διαδικασία, η οποία ολοκληρώθηκε στις 10 Μαρτίου Η Σουηδία προέβη στην ακόλουθη δήλωση: «Η Σουηδία χαιρετίζει το γεγονός ότι παρέχεται μερική πρόσβαση στο έγγραφο. Ωστόσο, όσον αφορά τους λόγους για τους οποίους παρέχεται μόνο μερική πρόσβαση, η Σουηδία δεν μπορεί να συμφωνήσει πλήρως με το σκεπτικό σχετικά με την ύπαρξη υπέρτερου δημόσιου συμφέροντος (βλ. ιδίως σ. 17).» Οι αντιπροσωπίες συμφώνησαν να δημοσιευθεί το αποτέλεσμα της ψηφοφορίας. 5963/17 ΣΠΚ/νκ 1 DG F 2B LIMITE EL

2 Βάσει των ανωτέρω καλείται η Επιτροπή των Μονίμων Αντιπροσώπων να εισηγηθεί στο Συμβούλιο, κατά την προσεχή σύνοδό του: - να συμφωνήσει, στα σημεία «Α», σχετικά με το συνημμένο σχέδιο απάντησης - να αποφασίσει τη δημοσίευση του αποτελέσματος της ψηφοφορίας. Το παράρτημα υπάρχει μόνο στα αγγλικά. 5963/17 ΣΠΚ/νκ 2 DG F 2B LIMITE EL

3 ΠΑΡΑΡΤΗΜΑ DRAFT REPLY ADOPTED BY THE COUNCIL ON... TO CONFIRMATORY APPLICATION 01/c/01/17, made by on 3 February 2017, pursuant to Article 7(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001, for public access to document 15253/16 The Council has considered this confirmatory application under Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2001 regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents (OJ L 145 of , p. 43) (hereafter «Regulation No 1049/2001») and Annex II to the Council s Rules of Procedure (Council Decision 2009/937/EU, Official Journal L 325, , p. 35) and has come to the following conclusion: 1. On 11 January 2017 the applicant filed an initial application for access to document 15253/16, which is a note from the Presidency to delegations concerning Solidarity and responsibility in the Common European Asylum System and contains a Progress report by the Slovak Presidency. 2. On 2 February 2017, the General Secretariat replied to this application, refusing access to the requested document, based on Article 4(3), first subparagraph, of Regulation No 1049/ On 3 February 2017, the applicant filed a confirmatory application against this refusal, claiming that its release «is of public interest and important for the public confidence in the Common European Asylum System». 4. Based on the applicant s confirmatory application, the Council has conducted new consultations and thoroughly examined the document and its political context. 5963/17 ΣΠΚ/νκ 3

4 Serious undermining of the Council s decision-making process 5. In relation to the exception to the principle of transparency initially invoked by the General Secretariat, the Council had to first of all examine the impact that immediate release of the requested document would have on any related decision-making processes and determine whether such impact was of an intensity that warrants it being called «serious undermining». 6. Since 2015, the European Union has had to face unprecedented numbers of migrants illegally entering its territory. Most of these migrants claim asylum in Member States, thereby putting enormous strains on the Common European Asylum System. Member States governments and societies have reacted in different ways to these waves of immigration, and individual countries also are in very different situations by reason of their geographical location. 7. Strong action is therefore needed, but at the same time, individual countries positions, needs and possibilities vary considerably. The Presidency therefore has a very difficult and delicate task to find solutions that take into account all these different aspects and allow to make progress. 8. Various potential measures are being discussed in this context, but even the types of measures to be taken are still a subject of debate. In this regard, it should be noted that although some of the measures the may finally be taken could be legislative in nature, the requested document as such does not concern any particular legislative file. The ongoing negotiations are of a very sensitive nature which is reinforced by the sensitivity of migration policy in many Member States. Maintaining any available margin for manoeuvre for the Member States is thus an essential element of any negotiating strategy. 9. The requested document contains delicate information on the issues and proposals the Presidency has put on the table and on the direction potential solutions might take. Discussions are still at a difficult stage and all available options must be kept open as much as possible, if the Council is to agree on concrete measures. Release of the document at the present stage would completely jeopardise the prospect of coming to an agreement in this crucially important area of EU policy. 5963/17 ΣΠΚ/νκ 4

5 10. Release would thus currently seriously undermine the Council s decision-making process. Public interest as regard international relations 11. In addition, it needs to be pointed out that the ongoing discussions on the issues concerned are closely linked to relations with third countries, in particular countries from which asylum seekers come or through which they have transited. The European Union s position vis-à-vis those countries would be considerably weakened if at the present preliminary stage the full range of options on the table were to be revealed. 12. Release would thus also undermine the public interest as regards international relations (Article 4(1)(a), third indent, of Regulation No 1049/2001). Existence of an overriding public interest in release 13. However, in order to apply the exception provided for in Article 4(3), first subparagraph, of Regulation No 1049/2001, it is not sufficient to determine that release of a given document would indeed seriously undermine the institution s decision-making process. It is also necessary to conclude that there is no overriding public interest in release. 14. In this regard, the Council notes that the applicant contends that release of the document «is of public interest and important for the public confidence in the Common European Asylum System». The applicant does not set out in detail why release of document 15253/16 in particular is so important for public confidence in the Common European Asylum System. 15. The Council fully acknowledges the importance of transparency as a basic democratic principle. In this regard, it should be noted that it can envisage release of the requested document in some months time, when discussions on the various measures to be taken can be expected to have evolved into a more concrete vision. 5963/17 ΣΠΚ/νκ 5

6 16. However, it would not seem that public confidence in the Common European Asylum System would in any substantial way be affected by the decision to postpone release of document 15253/16 for some months only. 17. The Council considers that in the present case the existence of an overriding public interest in release must be determined by comparing immediate release now with release within some months time. 18. On this basis and taking into account all relevant aspects, the Council has come to the conclusion that immediate release of the requested document is not justified by an overriding public interest in release. 19. In any event, it needs to be noted that in relation to the exception provided for in Article 4(1)(a), third indent, of Regulation No 1049/2001, no overriding public interest can be taken into account in order to justify release of the document. Partial access 20. Pursuant to Article 4(6) of Regulation No 1049/2001, the Council also had to consider the possibility of giving partial access to the requested document. 21. It has come to the conclusion that the above-mentioned reasons do not sufficiently justify withholding most of the introductory part of the document. The applicant may thus have access to the parts concerned. All other parts of the document are, however, covered by the reasons set out above, and no further partial access is possible. 5963/17 ΣΠΚ/νκ 6