Opening to the public of documents and files from the historical archives of the Commission which are covered by the obligation of professional or business secrecy

(2000/C 136/08)

Under the 30-year rule (Article 1 of Commission Decision No 359/83/ECSC of 8 February 1983 and of Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 of 1 February 1983 concerning the opening to the public of the historical archives of the European Coal and Steel Community, the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community(1)), the Commission is required to open to the public, year by year, the files of the ECSC (from 1983) and those of the EEC and Euratom (from 1989) kept in its historical archives. Opening the files to the public serves three purposes: to encourage research into the history of the Communities; to foster public interest in progress towards European integration; and to throw more light on the operation of the Community institutions.

The Commission considers that, under Article 4 of the Decision and of the Regulation, there is, as a general rule, nothing to prevent a file from being opened to the public at the end of the 30-year period even when there are documents in it that contain information which, at the time, was covered by the obligation of professional or business secrecy.

However, the Decision of 30 November 1990(2) requires the Commission to publish a notice in the Official Journal of the European Communities to inform the persons or firms concerned or their successor(s) in title that it intends to release to the public a document covered by the obligation of professional or business secrecy.

Documents containing professional or business secrets in which reference is made to the firms mentioned below will, provided 30 years have elapsed (30-year rule mentioned above) from the date on which the documents were produced, be released to the public eight weeks after publication of this notice unless a reasoned objection, based on the obligation of professional or business secrecy, is submitted in writing to the Commission by that time. Objections should be addressed to Mr Hofmann, Historical Archives, Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 200, B-1049 Brussels, JECL 03/40 (Tel. (32-2) 295 20 53; fax (32-2) 296 10 95, e-mail: archis@cec.eu.int).

Main areas dealt with in documents and files covered by the obligation of professional and business secrecy (Article 4 of Commission Decision No 359/83/ECSC and of Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83)

FIRMS CONCERNED BY THE OBLIGATION OF PROFESSIONAL OR BUSINESS SECRECY FOR THE PERIOD 1952 to 1969 - 22nd PART

A. TRADE

A.5. PRICING:

Documents concerning: regulations, arrangements, harmonisation, fluctuation, alignment, costs, prices, price scales, publishing of prices, discriminatory pricing, exportation of a product at a price below its normal value.

Belgium

Aciéries et minières de la Sambre

Cobechar: Comptoir belge des charbons

Carbodur

Charbonnage de Moha

Charbonnages de Beeringen

Charbonnages de Winterslag SA

Charbonnages Helchteren-Zolder SA

Charbonnages réunis Roton-Farciennes et Oignies-Aiseau SA

Cockerill-Ougrée SA

Coke et sous-produits de Tertre

Établissements Kuhlmann SA

Forges de Clabecq SA

Forges de Thy-Marcinelle

Forges de la Providence

Glaverbel SA

Houillères d'Anderlues SA

SA Cokeries du Marly

SA Métallurgique d'Espérance-Longdoz

SA des fours à coke de Zeebrugge

UCB: Union Chimique Belge

Usines Gustave Boël

Italy

Cokapuania SA

Società Commercio Coke

Netherlands

Association coopérative Zélandaise de carbonisation GA

Domaniale Mijn-Maatschappij NV

Maatschappij tot Exploitatie der Steenkolenmijnen Laura & Vereeniging

NV Nederlandsche Steenkolenmijnen Willem-Sophia

NV Maatschappij tot Exploitatie van Limburgsche Steenkolenmijnen

Verkoopkantoor der Staatsmijnen in Limburg

B. PRODUCTION

B.1. EQUALISATION SCHEME - equalisation for coal and scrap, selection of firms subject to the scheme, fraud and complaints relating to equalisation:

Documents concerning coal and/or scrap equalisation.

Federal Republic of Germany

DSVG: Deutsche Schrottverbraucher Gemeinschaft

Belgium

Cobechar: Comptoir belge des charbons

Italy

Ferriere S. Anna SpA

B.2. THE MARKET IN COAL, STEEL AND SCRAP: SUPPLIES AND PRODUCTION:

Documents concerning: general objectives, production, policy on coal, supply, consumption, stocks, costs and income, grants and loans, business situation and forward programmes.

Federal Republic of Germany

ATH: August Thyssen-Hütte AG

Bergbau AG Lothringen

Concordia Bergbau AG

DHH: Dortmund Hörder-Hüttenunion AG

Dillinger Hüttenwerke

Dortmunder Bergbau AG

Eisenwerk Gesellschaft Maximilianshütte AG

Emscher Lippe Bergbau

Eschweiler Bergwerks Verein

Essener Steinkohlenbergwerke

Ewald-Kohle AG

Friedrich Heinrich AG

Friedrich Thyssen Bergbau AG

Gebrüder Stumm

Gelsenkirchener Bergbau AG

Gewerkschaft Alte Haase

Gewerkschaft Auguste Victoria

Gewerkschaft Aurora

Gewerkschaft des Steinkohlenbergbaus Haus Aden

Gruppenkraftwerk Herne GmbH

Gußstahlwerke Bochumer Verein AG

Gußstahlwerke Witten AG

HWS-Hüttenwerke Siegerland

Hamborner-Bergbau

Hansa-Rohstoff

Harpener Bergbau AG

Heinrich Bergbau AG

Hibernia Bergbaugesellschaft AG

Hoesch AG Bergbau

Hoesch Westfalenhütte

Hüttenwerk Oberhausen AG

Hüttenwerk Rheinhausen AG

Hüttenwerk Salzgitter AG

Ilseder Hütte

Klöckner-Bergbau Köningsborn-Werne AG

Klöckner-Werke AG

Langenbrahm Steinkohlenbergbau

Mannesmann AG

Metallhüttenwerk Lübeck AG

Monopol Bergwerks GmbH

Märkische Steinkohlengesellschaft

Niederrheinische Hütte AG

Phoenix-Rheinrohr AG

Rheinelbe Bergbau AG

Rheinische Braunkohlenwerke AG

Rheinpreussen AG für Bergbau und Chemie

Rheinstahl Eisenwerke

Rudolf Damm Bergbaubetriebe

Röchling'sche Eisen- und Stahlwerke GmbH

SA des forges et aciéries de Dilling

Saarbergwerke AG

Schwerter Profileisenwalzwerk AG

Stahl- und Walzwerke Rasselstein

Stahlwerke Bochum AG

Stahlwerke Südwestfalen AG

Steinkohlen-Elektrizität AG (STEAG)

Steinkohlenbergwerk Heinrich Robert AG

Steinkohlenbergwerk Mathias Stinnes

Steinkohlenbergwerk Westfalen AG

Südhessische Gas und Wasser AG

Theodor Wuppermann GmbH

Thyssen Röhrenwerke AG

Vereinigte Deutsche Metallwerke AG

Belgium

Charbonnages d'Aiseau-Presle SA

Charbonnages Helchteren-Zolder SA

Cockerill-Ougrée SA

Fedechar: Fédération charbonnière de Belgique

Forges de Clabecq SA

Forges de Thy-Marcinelle

Laminoirs et Usines du Ruau SA

SA Cokeries du Marly

SA Métallurgique d'Espérance-Longdoz

SA Phenix-Works

Société minière et métallurgique de Musson et Halanzy

Société métallurgique Hainaut Sambre

France

CAFL: Compagnie des ateliers et forges de la Loire

CCNM: Compagnie des forges de Châtillon, Commentry et Neuves-Maisons

Charbonnages de France

De Wendel & Cie

Établissements J. J. Carnaud et forges de Basse-Indre

Établissements Oziol

Forges de la Providence

Forges et aciéries de Nord et Lorraine

Mine de fer de Murville

Neunkircher Eisenwerk

SA Usines Gilson

Sidelor: Union sidérurgique Lorraine SA

Sollac: Société lorraine de laminage continu SA

Société Commentryenne des aciers fins vanadium alloys

Société d'électro-chimie, d'électro-métallurgie et des aciéries électriques d'Ugine

Société des forges de Gueugnon

Société des hauts-fourneaux de la Chiers

Société des hauts-fourneaux et forges de Saulnes et Uckange

Société des mines de Saizerais

Société Lorraine Escaut

Société minière et métallurgique de Rodange

Usinor: Union sidérurgique du nord de la France

Luxembourg

ARBED: Aciéries réunies de Burbach-Eich-Dudelange

HADIR: Hauts-fourneaux et aciéries de Differdange

Italy

Acciaieria e Tubificio di Brescia SpA

Acciaierie Ferriere Alpine

Acciaierie e Ferriere Lombarde Falck SpA

Acciaierie e Ferriere Lucchini, Brescia

Acciaierie e Ferriere Pietra Oddino

Acciaierie e Ferriere Stefana Fratelli Fu Girolamo SpA

Carbosarda: Società Mineraria Carbonifera Sarda

Ferriera Catania

Ferriera Ernesto Preo & Figli

Ferriere S. Anna SpA

IRO: Industrie Riunite Odolesi

Italsider SpA

Laminatoio Predalva di Pisogne

Merisider: Società Meridionale Siderurgica SpA

Magona D'Italia

ORI: Officine Riunite Italiane

Officine Fratelli Bertoli fu Rodolfo

Pietro Maria Ceretti SpA

SELVA: Società per Azioni Elettrosiderurgica di Valle Camonica

SIMET: Società Industriale Metallurgica di Napoli

SISMA: Società Industrie Siderurgiche Meccaniche e Affini SpA

Società Cantieri Metallurgica Italiani

Società Fornicoke

Società Fratelli Orsenigo

Società Napoletane

Società Nazionale Cogne SpA

Terni - Società per l'Industria e l'Elettricità, SpA

Netherlands

Association coopérative zélandaise de carbonisation GA

Koninklijke Nederlandsche Hoogovens en Staalfabrieken NV

Maatschappij tot Exploitatie der Steenkolenmijnen Laura & Vereeniging

Verkoopkantoor der Staatsmijnen in Limburg

B.5. WORKFORCE-RELATED PROBLEMS:

Documents concerning housing policy, pay, health and readaptation of workers.

Belgium

Société des charbonnages du Borinage

B.6. TECHNICAL AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH - coal, steel:

Documents relating to requests for financial aid from the ECSC High Authority; description of the research projects, patents for inventions.

Federal Republic of Germany

Steinkohlenbergbauverein

(1) OJ L 43, 15.2.1983.

(2) OJ L 340, 6.12.1990, p. 24.