# How the European Commission dealt with a request for public access to correspondence between a former commissioner and a financial services provider
- Author: European Ombudsman
- Date: 2023-06-30T00:00+02:00[Europe/Paris]
- [URL](https://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/opening-summary/en/171805)
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| Secretariat‐General Head of Unit - C2 Ethics, Good Administration \& Relations with the European Ombudsman European Commission |

Dear Mr X,

The Ombudsman has received a complaint from Mr Y against the European Commission. The Ombudsman has asked me to deal with the case on her behalf.

The complaint concerns the Commission's failure to reply within the deadlines established by Regulation 1049/2001 to the complainant's confirmatory application for access to documents registered under EASE 2023/1665 and EASE 2023/1666. The Commission extended the time limit for its reply to 22 June 2023, but has not provided the complainant with a reply within the extended time limit.

We would suggest, if you have not done so in the meantime, that you now reply to the complainant and inform us when it is done. We would be grateful if you could send your reply as soon as possible, and not later than 20 July 2023.

At the same time, we also consider it necessary to inspect the document at issue in the complainant's confirmatory application, along with the related third party consultations. We would therefore be grateful if you could provide the following documents, preferably in electronic format through encrypted e-mail[\[1\]](#_ftn1){#_ftnref1}, by 6 July 2023:

* Ares(2015)436265 - 1. Agenda: Wirecard Bank AG: Treffen mit Günther Oettinger, EU-Kommissar für Digitale Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft, 19. Januar 2015, 13:00 - 13:33 Uhr; and
* all documentation related to third party consultations at initial and confirmatory stage that exist to date.

The documents subject to the public access request will be treated confidentially, along with any other material the Commission chooses to share with us that it marks confidential. Documents of this kind will be handled and stored in line with this confidential status and will be deleted form the Ombudsman's files shortly after the inquiry has ended.

The Commission's position has been set out in its initial reply. However, should the Commission wish to provide additional views, to be taken into account by the European Ombudsman during this inquiry, we would be grateful if they could be provided to us within fifteen working days from the receipt of this letter.

The inquiries officer responsible for the case is Ms Silvia Fuller.

Attached to this e‐mail, please find a copy of the complaint.

Yours sincerely,

Rosita Hickey  
Director of Inquiries

Strasbourg, 30/06/2023

[\[1\]](#_ftnref1){#_ftn1} Encrypted emails can be sent to our dedicated mailbox.