Buongiorno, aproposito di trasparenza... la commedia dell'assurdo dei famigerrimi messaggi di testo tra von der Leyen e Bourla - quelli che secondo il New York Times hanno stabilito gli accordi tra la EU e Pfizer in merito alle forniture dei vaccini - ha raggiunto il suo penultimo atto: «La Commissione risponde a Obudsman» executive summary: i messaggi di testo sono di breve durata, effimeri e non riguardano aspetti sostanziali, quindi non li registriamo; ci siamo tanto raccomandati col nostro staff! ...i moderni pizzini insomma :-O https://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/it/news-document/en/157773 --8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8--- NOTIZIE - DATA Mercoledì | 29 giugno 2022 CASO 1316/2021/MIG APERTO(A) IL Giovedì | 16 settembre 2021 RACCOMANDAZIONE SU Mercoledì | 26 gennaio 2022 ISTITUZIONE COINVOLTA Commissione europea «Commission replies to Ombudsman findings concerning refusal to give access to text messages about COVID-19 vaccines» The Commission has replied to the Ombudsman's findings concerning its refusal to give public access to text messages between its President and the CEO of a pharmaceutical company about a COVID-19 vaccine contract. The Ombudsman's initial analysis is that the reply is problematic on several points. The closing decision, to be published within the coming weeks, will include a full analysis. --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8--- Il testo in un PDF di 4 pagine è qui: https://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/it/case/it/59777 Alcuni estratti che riassumono la vicenda: --8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8--- On 4 May 2021, the applicant, Mr [...], a journalist, submitted a request for access to documents under Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001, for: - ‘text messages and other documents relating to the exchange between President Ursula von der Leyen and Albert Bourla, the chief executive of Pfizer, since January 1, 2021.’ According to the applicant, the exchange had been reported in the New York Times on April 28 in the story "How Europe Sealed a Pfizer Vaccine Deal With Texts and Call; [...] European Commission issued a confirmatory decision. It replied to the applicant that the European Commission does not hold any documents corresponding to the description given in the application. [...] On 28 January 2022, the EO (European Ombudsman, n.d.r) issued a decision whereby it considered that the way in which the Commission handled the request by the complainant constituted maladministration. [...] In points 15 and 16 of her recommendation, the EO argues that ‘it is equally clear that Regulation 1049/2001 applies to all documents held by an EU institution, that is, “documents drawn up or received by it and in its possession, in all areas of activity of the European Union”. [...] point 21 of the recommendation states that ‘[w]hether the text messages were part of a formal procedure or whether they committed the Commission in any way, may have a bearing on whether or not they should have been registered in the Commission’s document management system but has no bearing on whether they fall within the scope of the public access rules’. The European Ombudsman recommended “that the Commission should ask the President’s Cabinet to search again for the relevant text messages making it clear that the search should not be limited to registered documents that fulfil the recording criteria”. If any text messages are identified, the Commission should then assess whether public access can be granted to them in line with Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001. --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8--- poi, dopo una lunga sfilza di bla bla bla, la Commissione dichiara: --8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8--- In the light of the above, the Commission can confirm that the search undertaken by the President’s cabinet for relevant text messages corresponding to the request for access to documents has not yielded any results. [...] due to their short-lived and ephemeral nature, text and instant messages in general do not contain important information relating to policies, activities and decisions of the Commission, nor are they in the possession of the institution. However, in an effort to ensure greater certainty for the Commission in the application of Regulation (EC) N°1049/2001, the Commission intends to issue further guidance on modern communication tools such as text and instant messages. In order to ensure consistency, the Commission will reach out to all the other institutions of the Union and propose that they draw up together guidance for their staff on the use of modern communication tools such as text and instant messages. In this context, the guidance provided by the Secretariat-general of the Council to its staff (note SMART 21/0021 of 28 January 2021) is particularly relevant, since it asks its staff to use messaging apps in a professional context in a restrictive manner, e.g. using text and instant messages only for short-lived, ephemeral chat about public or non-sensitive content; text and instant messages are not to be used for sharing substantive content on sensitive matters. This could be a starting point for such a joint inter-institutional approach. The Ombudsman could equally be invited to participate in those discussions, if she wishes to do so. IV. CONCLUSIONS The European Commission considers that its confirmatory decision was in line with the applicable legislation and the relevant case law on access to documents at the point in time it was taken. --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8--- L'ultimo atto si intitola «Il topolino prova a ruggire e suscita l'ilarità del sovrano» Saluti, 380° P.S.: chiedere i testi dei messaggi direttamente al New York Times no eh? :-O -- 380° (Giovanni Biscuolo public alter ego) «Noi, incompetenti come siamo, non abbiamo alcun titolo per suggerire alcunché» Disinformation flourishes because many people care deeply about injustice but very few check the facts. Ask me about <https://stallmansupport.org>.