European Food Safety Authority
Committed to openness and transparency, EFSA provides NGOs with access to
internal draft documents
12 December 2011
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is providing the
non-governmental organisations (NGOs), ClientEarth and Pesticides
Action Network (PAN) Europe, with full access to draft documents
requested in relation to EFSA's Guidance on submission of scientific
peer-reviewed open literature for the approval of pesticide active
substances.
On 1st December 2010, EFSA provided the majority of the documents
requested except for draft versions of the Guidance document, as these
were considered to be internal documents and therefore not eligible for
public access.
EFSA reviewed its position and is now making these internal documents
available following a recent ruling in an unrelated case brought before
the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ), which has clarified
the circumstances under which internal documents could be made
available following requests for public access to documents.
EFSA reconsidered its decision following this ruling and to avoid
spending public funds in a case brought before the ECJ by ClientEarth
and PAN Europe. Furthermore, in view of its commitment to its core
values of openness and transparency, and following an internal
re-evaluation of the request, EFSA decided to release these documents.
In compliance with EU legislation concerning the protection of personal
data, the names of experts linked to a specific comment are withheld,
otherwise all documents requested are being provided to both
organisations.
The NGOs had also asked for documents related to internal meetings
among staff but these do not exist as no minutes are taken in relation
to telephone calls or informal staff meetings.
* Letter to ClientEarth and Pesticide Action Network
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