27.9.2003 Official Journal of the European Union L 2431 (Acts whose publication is obligatory) COUNCIL REGULATION (EC, EURATOM) No 1700/2003 of 22 September 2003 amending Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 concerning the opening to the public of the historical archives of the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Com- munity, and in particular Article 308 thereof, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community, and in particular Article 203 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament, Whereas: 1 ) ) 0 Article 255 of the Treaty establishing the European Community gives any citizen of the Union and any natural or legal person residing or having its registered office in a Member State a right of access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents. The general principles and the limits governing the public's right of access to documents of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission were laid down in Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council ('). The exceptions to public right of access provided for in Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 are applicable for a maximum period of 30 years, irrespective of the place where the documents are stored. The exceptions relating to protection of privacy or commercial interests and the specific provisions on sensitive documents may, however, apply beyond that period if necessary. Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 () provides that the public will not be given access to certain categories of documents 30 years after the docu- ments were created. Pursuant to Article 18(2) of Regula- L 145, 31.5.2001, p. 43. L 43,15.2.1983, p. 1. tion (EC) No 1049/2001, it is necessary to bring these exceptions into line with the exceptions to right of access provided for in that Regulation. For the purposes of Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/ 83, the European Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and similar agencies and bodies set up by the Community legislature should henceforth be treated in the same way as the institutions referred to in Article 7(1) of the Treaty establishing the European Community. Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 should therefore be amended accordingly, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Atrticle 1 Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 is hereby amended as follows: 1. Article 1(1), (2) and (3) shall be replaced by the following: ‘Article 1 1. This Regulation seeks to ensure that documents of historical or administrative value are preserved and made available to the public wherever possible. To that end, each institution of the European Community and of the European Atomic Energy Community, as well as the European Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of Regions, agencies and similar bodies set up by the legislator (hereinafter referred to as the institutions) shall establish its historical archives and open them to the public on the terms provided for by this Regulation after the expiry of a period of 30 years starting from the date of the creation of the document.