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The public may have access to Council documents subject to the conditions laid down in Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents (Official Journal L 145/43 of 31.05.2001) and the specific provisions regarding public access to Council documents in Annex II to the Council's Rules of Procedure, as amended by Council Decision 2006/683/EC of 15 September 2006 (Official Journal L 285/47 of 16.10.2006).
Requests for access to Council documents should be sent in writing, in one of the official languages of the European Union, either using the electronic form, or by other means.
The Secretary-General will provide a reply within 15 working days, although this can, exceptionally, be extended by further 15 working days.
The applicant shall have access to documents either by consulting them on the spot or by receiving a copy, including, where available, an electronic copy, according to the applicant's preference.
In the event of a refusal, the applicant has 15 working days to make a confirmatory application asking the institution to reconsider its position.
If the confirmatory application is rejected, the applicant is informed that she/he may make a complaint to the Ombudsman or bring an action before the Court of Justice.
In order to facilitate the identification of Council documents which may be applied for, a public register of Council documents has been accessible since 1 January 1999. The register contains a series of key items allowing Council documents to be identified, viz.: title, reference number, a reference to the originator and the addressee of the document, the dates on which it was produced and archived and, where appropriate, the date of the meeting to which the document pertains. The register offers access to the content of documents which have been released to the public either following requests for access to them lodged by citizens, or under the provisions regarding direct access to certain categories of documents.
The fact that a document is listed in the register does not prejudge the Council's response to any request for access.
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