There has been another somersault in the “Dieselgate” affair. On behalf of his group on Thursday 12 July, Bas Eickhout (Greens/EFA, Netherlands) submitted a complaint to the European Ombudsman against the European Commission due to its “partial refusal” to open access to the public to certain documents relating to the scandal.
The MEP wrote that “I am submitting this complaint because I consider that it is clearly in the public interest to ensure transparency and responsibility in key decision-making processes, particularly in areas directly affecting the environment and public-health”.
Mr Eickhout made a particular reference to a request made on 27 January 2017 to access the minutes and summary records of the technical meeting on motor vehicles between September 2016 and January 2017.
Moreover, the MEP pointed out that some of the minutes have still not been made public and regretted that only MEPs in Parliament's committee of enquiry on the emission scandal (EMIS) had had access to them. The MEP also deplored the conditions for consulting the documents, which are located in a “secure room” (see EUROPE 11585).
In his view, the Commission has made reading of regulation 1049//2001 on public access to Parliament, Council and Commission documents excessively restrictive.
It should be pointed out that at the time, the decision to restrict access was taken at the highest level at the Commission, with certain people saying that it had been made by Jyrki Katanien (see EUROPE 11585).
To consult the complaint online: http://extranet.greens-efa-service.eu/public/media/file/1/5674. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)