Circular Note - Information about the enquiry regarding the use of reserved parking spaces

PRO Ref. No.: 24/31633                          

CIRCULAR     NOTE

Information about the enquiry conducted by The Technical and Environmental Administration of the City of Copenhagen from 28 June to 23 August 2024 regarding the use of reserved parking spaces for diplomatic representations after business hours.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Protocol Department, presents its compliments to all Heads of Diplomatic Missions and Consulates accredited to and resident in Denmark and International Organisations and Other Missions resident in Copenhagen and has the honour to offer information regarding the enquiry conducted by The Technical and Environmental Administration of the City of Copenhagen from 28 June to 23 August 2024 regarding the use of reserved parking spaces for diplomatic representations after business hours.

The formal background for the enquiry was a political decision by the City of Copenhagen that The Technical and Environmental Administration should consult all embassies regarding the possible use of embassy parking spaces outside normal opening hours. The Technical and Environmental Administration informed the Protocol Department of its intention to send the enquiry emphasizing that it was explicit in its voluntariness towards the embassies.

According to Danish law such an enquiry automatically means that all correspondence will be publicly available in connection with the processing of the case. As a general rule, everyone is entitled to request public access to documents in the correspondence and receive all responses from the embassies. Since the response from the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps was on behalf of several embassies, it was attached to the case by the Administration, which was posted on the website of the City of Copenhagen in accordance with common practice in public administration one week prior to the meeting in The Technical and Environmental Committee.

Recently, The Technical and Environmental Administration of the City of Copenhagen has in writing apologized to the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps for not initially informing the Dean that her response to the hearing would be subject to the rules of public access to documents, and that it could be published in connection with the processing of the political case concerning parking spaces at the embassies. Furthermore, the Administration has explained to the Dean that it should have informed the Dean about this publication in due time.

As a result of the above, the Administration has reinforced its practices towards all employees dealing with this type of work. This means that The Technical and Environmental Administration will always inform the embassies about whether the correspondence may be published, and when and what information is passed on, and finally it will increase the notifications to the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in all cases concerning embassies.

Finally, the Administration has informed the Protocol Department that The Technical and Environmental Committee of the City of Copenhagen on 5 November 2024 decided not to pursue the possible use of embassy parking spaces outside normal opening hours. The Administration has informed the Protocol Department that the response from the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps on behalf of several embassies contributed to the recommendation from the Administration to the Committee to take this decision.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Protocol Department, avails itself of this opportunity to renew to all Heads of Diplomatic Missions and Consulates accredited to and resident in Denmark and International Organisations and Other Missions resident in Copenhagen the assurances of its highest consideration.

Copenhagen, 18 November 2024