DG COMM: “no documents identified”

DG COMM says that it found no documents matching the request in its own files and had no direct correspondence with the companies named in the request.

What the document says

The reply addresses only the part of the request allocated to DG COMM. After what it calls a thorough examination, DG COMM states that it does not hold documents corresponding to the description in the application. No responsive documents were released.

It also says that DG COMM has not exchanged direct correspondence with the companies named in the request. The decision cites the rule that access applies to existing documents held by the institution.

What it means

This is a response about DG COMM's own files, not the Commission as a whole. It does not show that Apple, DG COMP, DG CONNECT or the Secretariat-General hold no relevant documents.

DG COMM is the Commission's public communication department and was not the leading expected holder of the core Apple, Siri AI and DMA correspondence. The decision therefore does not materially change the central unanswered questions.

What remains open

DG COMP states that it holds responsive material in DMA investigation files, but has refused access. The Secretariat-General has since partially released an Apple email and position paper from the President’s Cabinet files. Those documents establish Apple’s allegation that its proposals were rejected, but not the Commission’s reasons. DG CONNECT has since said that it holds no additional responsive documents beyond the DG COMP set.

What happens next

The decision allows a confirmatory application within 15 working days of receipt. No such review is planned against DG COMM at this stage. The focus remains on the registered review of DG COMP’s full refusal. The previously missing Tim Cook letter has now been supplied, but it adds no substantive Siri AI or DMA evidence.