Information from the Commission - 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
Date: 2001-05-09
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: European Commission, access to EU information, archives, dissemination of EU information, document, professional secret

C 137/2

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

9.5.2001

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

(2001/C 137/02)

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).

(1) OJ L 43, 15.2.1983.
(2) OJ L 340, 6.12.1990, p. 24.

9.5.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 137/3

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 1952-1970
(cid:151) 23rd PART

A. TRADE

Luxembourg

A.3. COAL-SELLING

AGENCIES (cid:151) organisation,

selling

arrangements, reorganisation of coal sales:

Documents concerning the organisational aspects of coal sales.

Belgium

Cobechar: Comptoir belge des charbons

A.4. RESTRICTIVE AGREEMENTS AND MERGERS (cid:151) policy of the

High Authority, business agreements and mergers:

Documents
concerning the High Authority’s policy on
restrictive agreements and mergers (Articles 65 and 66, ECSC
Treaty).

France

ATIC: Association technique de l’importation charbonniŁre
ORCIS: SociØtØ d’achat et de rØception des combustibles pour
l’industrie sidØrurgique

B. PRODUCTION

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

HWS-H(cid:252)ttenwerke Siegerland
Hessische Berg- und H(cid:252)ttenwerke
Luitpoldh(cid:252)tte AG

France

CAFL: Compagnie des ateliers et forges de la Loire
(cid:201)tablissements Prenat
SNCF: SociØtØ nationale des chemins de fer fran(cid:231)ais
SociØtØ des forges et ateliers du Creusot
SociØtØ des hauts fourneaux de la Chasse
SociØtØ miniŁre et mØtallurgique du PØrigord
SociØtØ mØtallurgique d’Imphy

ARBED: AciØries rØunies de Burbach-Eich-Dudelange

Italy

Assider: Associazione industrie siderurgiche italiane
Acciaierie e ferriere Luigi Bosio SpA
ORI: Officine riunite italiane

B.3. REORGANISATION OF COALMINES (cid:151) inspection, rational-

isation, conversion:

Documents concerning the inspection,
conversion of coalmines.

rationalisation and

Federal Republic of Germany

Gelsenkirchener Bergbau AG
Gewerkschaft Karl Georg
Hibernia Bergbaugesellschaft AG
Kautex-Werke
Rheinpreussen AG f(cid:252)r Bergbau und Chemie
Rheinstahl Eisenwerke
Saarbergwerke AG
Steinkohlenbergwerk Graf Bismarck GmbH

Belgium

AciØries et miniŁres de la Sambre
Charbonnages d’Aiseau-Presle SA
Charbonnages d’Amerc(cid:156)ur SA
Charbonnages de Gosson-Kessales SA
Charbonnages de Noºl Sart-Culpart SA
Charbonnages de Ressaix, Leval, PØronnes, Sainte-Aldegonde et
Genck SA
Charbonnages des Quatre-Jean SA
Charbonnages du Bois-d’Avroy SA
Charbonnages du Bois-du-Luc SA
Charbonnages du Centre
Charbonnages du Levant et des produits du FlØnu SA
Charbonnages du Rieu du C(cid:156)ur et de la Boule rØunis SA
Charbonnages Elisabeth
Charbonnages Mambourg, SacrØ Madame et Poirier rØunis SA
Charbonnages rØunis Roton-Farciennes et Oignies-Aiseau SA
Charbonnages unis de l’Ouest de Mons
Cockerill-OugrØe SA
HouillŁres unies du Bassin de Charleroi

France

CTA: SociØtØ chaudronnerie-t(cid:244)lerie de l’Aveyron
(cid:201)tablissements Prenat
Mines de Basse-Aumance
Mines de Puy-St-Gulmier

C 137/4

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

9.5.2001

Socadour
SociØtØ AlumØtal
SociØtØ Benoto
SociØtØ Bretonne de fonderie et de mØcanique
SociØtØ Commentryenne des aciers fins vanadium alloys
SociØtØ des usines St-Jacques

B.5. WORKFORCE-RELATED PROBLEMS:

Documents concerning housing policy, pay, health and re-
adaptation of workers.

Belgium

Cobechar: Comptoir belge des charbons
Charbonnages d’Aiseau-Presle SA

Federal Republic of Germany

Aachener Kohlenverkauf
Eisenwerk Gesellschaft Maximiliansh(cid:252)tte AG
Erzbergbau Salzgitter AG
HWS-H(cid:252)ttenwerke Siegerland
Hessische Berg- und H(cid:252)ttenwerke
H(cid:252)ttenwerk Ilsede-Peine
H(cid:252)ttenwerk Salzgitter AG
Luitpoldh(cid:252)tte AG
RBV: Rheinischer Braunkohlenbrikett-Verkauf GmbH
Ruhrkohlenkontor Gemeinschaftliches B(cid:252)ro der Pr(cid:228)sident,
Geitling, Mausegatt
Wirtschaftsvereinigung Eisen- und Stahlindustrie

Belgium

B.6. TECHNICAL AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH (cid:151) coal, steel:

SNCB: SociØtØ nationale des chemins de fer belges

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

France

Belgium

Charbonnages de Monceau-Fontaine

Charbonnages de France
SNCF: SociØtØ nationale des chemins de fer fran(cid:231)ais

Italy

C. TRANSPORT

Assider: Associazione industrie siderurgiche italiane
Acciaierie e ferriere lombarde Falck SpA

C.1. RATES AND PRICES FOR ROAD, RAIL AND RIVER TRANSPORT
parities,
information,

rates,

price

(cid:151) requests
conditions, complaints:

for

Documents concerning the conditions of transport for ECSC
products.

Netherlands

De Gezamenlijke Steenkolenmijnen in Limburg
Koninklijke Nederlandsche Hoogovens en Staalfabrieken NV
NV Nederlandse Spoorwegen