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
Official Journal C 137 , 09/05/2001 P. 0002 - 0004
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). 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 - 23rd PART A. TRADE A.3. COAL-SELLING AGENCIES - 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 - 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 charbonnière ORCIS: Société d'achat et de réception des combustibles pour l'industrie sidérurgique 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-Hüttenwerke Siegerland Hessische Berg- und Hüttenwerke Luitpoldhütte AG France CAFL: Compagnie des ateliers et forges de la Loire Établissements Prenat SNCF: Société nationale des chemins de fer français Société des forges et ateliers du Creusot Société des hauts fourneaux de la Chasse Société minière et métallurgique du Périgord Société métallurgique d'Imphy Luxembourg ARBED: Aciéries réunies 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 - inspection, rationalisation, conversion: Documents concerning the inspection, rationalisation and conversion of coalmines. Federal Republic of Germany Gelsenkirchener Bergbau AG Gewerkschaft Karl Georg Hibernia Bergbaugesellschaft AG Kautex-Werke Rheinpreussen AG für Bergbau und Chemie Rheinstahl Eisenwerke Saarbergwerke AG Steinkohlenbergwerk Graf Bismarck GmbH Belgium Aciéries et minières de la Sambre Charbonnages d'Aiseau-Presle SA Charbonnages d'Amercoeur SA Charbonnages de Gosson-Kessales SA Charbonnages de Noël Sart-Culpart SA Charbonnages de Ressaix, Leval, Péronnes, 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 Flénu SA Charbonnages du Rieu du Coeur et de la Boule réunis SA Charbonnages Elisabeth Charbonnages Mambourg, Sacré Madame et Poirier réunis SA Charbonnages réunis Roton-Farciennes et Oignies-Aiseau SA Charbonnages unis de l'Ouest de Mons Cockerill-Ougrée SA Houillères unies du Bassin de Charleroi France CTA: Société chaudronnerie-tôlerie de l'Aveyron Établissements Prenat Mines de Basse-Aumance Mines de Puy-St-Gulmier Socadour Société Alumétal Société Benoto Société Bretonne de fonderie et de mécanique Société Commentryenne des aciers fins vanadium alloys Société des usines St-Jacques B.5. WORKFORCE-RELATED PROBLEMS: Documents concerning housing policy, pay, health and readaptation of workers. Belgium Cobechar: Comptoir belge des charbons Charbonnages d'Aiseau-Presle SA 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. Belgium Charbonnages de Monceau-Fontaine C. TRANSPORT C.1. RATES AND PRICES FOR ROAD, RAIL AND RIVER TRANSPORT - requests for information, rates, price parities, conditions, complaints: Documents concerning the conditions of transport for ECSC products. Federal Republic of Germany Aachener Kohlenverkauf Eisenwerk Gesellschaft Maximilianshütte AG Erzbergbau Salzgitter AG HWS-Hüttenwerke Siegerland Hessische Berg- und Hüttenwerke Hüttenwerk Ilsede-Peine Hüttenwerk Salzgitter AG Luitpoldhütte AG RBV: Rheinischer Braunkohlenbrikett-Verkauf GmbH Ruhrkohlenkontor Gemeinschaftliches Büro der Präsident, Geitling, Mausegatt Wirtschaftsvereinigung Eisen- und Stahlindustrie Belgium SNCB: Société nationale des chemins de fer belges France Charbonnages de France SNCF: Société nationale des chemins de fer français Italy Assider: Associazione industrie siderurgiche italiane Acciaierie e ferriere lombarde Falck SpA Netherlands De Gezamenlijke Steenkolenmijnen in Limburg Koninklijke Nederlandsche Hoogovens en Staalfabrieken NV NV Nederlandse Spoorwegen (1) OJ L 43, 15.2.1983. (2) OJ L 340, 6.12.1990, p. 24.