Article 1 
Scope and general provisions 1. This Decision shall apply to all Council documents, provided that they are not classified. 2. A Member State may request the General Secretariat not to make available to the public under this Decision a document originating from that State without its prior agreement. Article 2 Definitions For the purpose of this Decision: - "legislative document" shall mean any document concerning the examination and adoption of a legislative act within the meaning of Article 7 of the Council's Rules of Procedure, - "circulation" shall mean distribution of the final version of a document to the members of the Council, their representatives or delegates. Article 3 General rules 1. The General Secretariat shall make the following documents available to the public as soon as they have been circulated: (a) documents of which neither the Council nor a Member State is the author, which have been made public by their author or with his agreement; (b) provisional agenda of meetings of the Council in its various formations; (c) any text adopted by the Council and intended to be published in the Official Journal of the European Communities. 2. Provided that they are clearly not covered by any of the exceptions laid down in Article 4 of Decision 93/731/EC, the General Secretariat may also make the following documents available to the public as soon as they have been circulated: (a) provisional agenda of committees and working parties; (b) information notes, reports, progress reports and reports on the state of discussions in the Council or one of its preparatory bodies which do not reflect individual positions of delegations, excluding Legal Service opinions and contributions. Article 4 Specific rules for legislative documents 1. The General Secretariat shall make the following legislative documents available to the public, in addition to the documents referred to in Article 3, as soon as they have been circulated: (a) cover notes and copies of letters concerning legislative acts addressed to the Council by other institutions or bodies of the European Union or, subject to Article 1(2), by a Member State; (b) notes submitted to Coreper and/or to the Council for approval ("I/A" and "A" Item Notes), as well as the draft legislative acts to which they refer; (c) decisions adopted by the Council during the procedure referred to in Article 251 of the Treaty and joint texts approved by the Conciliation Committee. 2. After adoption of one of the decisions referred to in paragraph 1(c) or final adoption of the act concerned, the General Secretariat shall make available to the public any legislative documents relating to this act which were drawn up before this decision and which are not covered by any of the exceptions laid down in Article 4(1) of Decision 93/731/EC, such as information notes, reports, progress reports and reports on the state of discussions in the Council or in one of its preparatory bodies ("outcomes of proceedings"), excluding Legal Service opinions and contributions. At the request of a Member State, documents which are covered by the preceding subparagraph and reflect the individual position of that Member State in the Council, shall not be made available to the public under this Decision. Article 5 Final provisions This Decision shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Communities. It shall take effect on 1 May 2001. Done at Luxembourg, 9 April 2001. For the Council The President A. Lindh (1) OJ L 340, 31.12.1993, p. 43. Decision as last amended by Decision 2000/527/EC (OJ L 212, 23.8.2000, p. 9).
Article 2 
Definitions For the purpose of this Decision: - "legislative document" shall mean any document concerning the examination and adoption of a legislative act within the meaning of Article 7 of the Council's Rules of Procedure, - "circulation" shall mean distribution of the final version of a document to the members of the Council, their representatives or delegates. Article 3 General rules 1. The General Secretariat shall make the following documents available to the public as soon as they have been circulated: (a) documents of which neither the Council nor a Member State is the author, which have been made public by their author or with his agreement; (b) provisional agenda of meetings of the Council in its various formations; (c) any text adopted by the Council and intended to be published in the Official Journal of the European Communities. 2. Provided that they are clearly not covered by any of the exceptions laid down in Article 4 of Decision 93/731/EC, the General Secretariat may also make the following documents available to the public as soon as they have been circulated: (a) provisional agenda of committees and working parties; (b) information notes, reports, progress reports and reports on the state of discussions in the Council or one of its preparatory bodies which do not reflect individual positions of delegations, excluding Legal Service opinions and contributions. Article 4 Specific rules for legislative documents 1. The General Secretariat shall make the following legislative documents available to the public, in addition to the documents referred to in Article 3, as soon as they have been circulated: (a) cover notes and copies of letters concerning legislative acts addressed to the Council by other institutions or bodies of the European Union or, subject to Article 1(2), by a Member State; (b) notes submitted to Coreper and/or to the Council for approval ("I/A" and "A" Item Notes), as well as the draft legislative acts to which they refer; (c) decisions adopted by the Council during the procedure referred to in Article 251 of the Treaty and joint texts approved by the Conciliation Committee. 2. After adoption of one of the decisions referred to in paragraph 1(c) or final adoption of the act concerned, the General Secretariat shall make available to the public any legislative documents relating to this act which were drawn up before this decision and which are not covered by any of the exceptions laid down in Article 4(1) of Decision 93/731/EC, such as information notes, reports, progress reports and reports on the state of discussions in the Council or in one of its preparatory bodies ("outcomes of proceedings"), excluding Legal Service opinions and contributions. At the request of a Member State, documents which are covered by the preceding subparagraph and reflect the individual position of that Member State in the Council, shall not be made available to the public under this Decision. Article 5 Final provisions This Decision shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Communities. It shall take effect on 1 May 2001. Done at Luxembourg, 9 April 2001. For the Council The President A. Lindh (1) OJ L 340, 31.12.1993, p. 43. Decision as last amended by Decision 2000/527/EC (OJ L 212, 23.8.2000, p. 9).
Article 3 
General rules 1. The General Secretariat shall make the following documents available to the public as soon as they have been circulated: (a) documents of which neither the Council nor a Member State is the author, which have been made public by their author or with his agreement; (b) provisional agenda of meetings of the Council in its various formations; (c) any text adopted by the Council and intended to be published in the Official Journal of the European Communities. 2. Provided that they are clearly not covered by any of the exceptions laid down in Article 4 of Decision 93/731/EC, the General Secretariat may also make the following documents available to the public as soon as they have been circulated: (a) provisional agenda of committees and working parties; (b) information notes, reports, progress reports and reports on the state of discussions in the Council or one of its preparatory bodies which do not reflect individual positions of delegations, excluding Legal Service opinions and contributions. Article 4 Specific rules for legislative documents 1. The General Secretariat shall make the following legislative documents available to the public, in addition to the documents referred to in Article 3, as soon as they have been circulated: (a) cover notes and copies of letters concerning legislative acts addressed to the Council by other institutions or bodies of the European Union or, subject to Article 1(2), by a Member State; (b) notes submitted to Coreper and/or to the Council for approval ("I/A" and "A" Item Notes), as well as the draft legislative acts to which they refer; (c) decisions adopted by the Council during the procedure referred to in Article 251 of the Treaty and joint texts approved by the Conciliation Committee. 2. After adoption of one of the decisions referred to in paragraph 1(c) or final adoption of the act concerned, the General Secretariat shall make available to the public any legislative documents relating to this act which were drawn up before this decision and which are not covered by any of the exceptions laid down in Article 4(1) of Decision 93/731/EC, such as information notes, reports, progress reports and reports on the state of discussions in the Council or in one of its preparatory bodies ("outcomes of proceedings"), excluding Legal Service opinions and contributions. At the request of a Member State, documents which are covered by the preceding subparagraph and reflect the individual position of that Member State in the Council, shall not be made available to the public under this Decision. Article 5 Final provisions This Decision shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Communities. It shall take effect on 1 May 2001. Done at Luxembourg, 9 April 2001. For the Council The President A. Lindh (1) OJ L 340, 31.12.1993, p. 43. Decision as last amended by Decision 2000/527/EC (OJ L 212, 23.8.2000, p. 9).
Article 4 
Specific rules for legislative documents 1. The General Secretariat shall make the following legislative documents available to the public, in addition to the documents referred to in Article 3, as soon as they have been circulated: (a) cover notes and copies of letters concerning legislative acts addressed to the Council by other institutions or bodies of the European Union or, subject to Article 1(2), by a Member State; (b) notes submitted to Coreper and/or to the Council for approval ("I/A" and "A" Item Notes), as well as the draft legislative acts to which they refer; (c) decisions adopted by the Council during the procedure referred to in Article 251 of the Treaty and joint texts approved by the Conciliation Committee. 2. After adoption of one of the decisions referred to in paragraph 1(c) or final adoption of the act concerned, the General Secretariat shall make available to the public any legislative documents relating to this act which were drawn up before this decision and which are not covered by any of the exceptions laid down in Article 4(1) of Decision 93/731/EC, such as information notes, reports, progress reports and reports on the state of discussions in the Council or in one of its preparatory bodies ("outcomes of proceedings"), excluding Legal Service opinions and contributions. At the request of a Member State, documents which are covered by the preceding subparagraph and reflect the individual position of that Member State in the Council, shall not be made available to the public under this Decision. Article 5 Final provisions This Decision shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Communities. It shall take effect on 1 May 2001. Done at Luxembourg, 9 April 2001. For the Council The President A. Lindh (1) OJ L 340, 31.12.1993, p. 43. Decision as last amended by Decision 2000/527/EC (OJ L 212, 23.8.2000, p. 9).
Article 5 
Final provisions This Decision shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Communities. It shall take effect on 1 May 2001. Done at Luxembourg, 9 April 2001. For the Council The President A. Lindh (1) OJ L 340, 31.12.1993, p. 43. Decision as last amended by Decision 2000/527/EC (OJ L 212, 23.8.2000, p. 9).