Judgment — ECLI:EU:T:2008:596
Date: 2008-12-18
Language of the case: English
Court formation: Seventh Chamber
Based on: Treaty establishing the European Economic Community (1957)
Subject matter: Provisions governing the Institutions;Access to documents
Concepts: Strict interpretation and application;Protection of the decision-making process
Procedure: Action for annulment - successful
Origin: Belgium

Judgment of the Court of First Instance (Seventh Chamber) of 18 December 2008 – Muñiz v Commission (Case T-144/05) Access to documents – Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 – Documents relating to a meeting of the Working Group of the ‘Tariff and Statistical Nomenclature Section (Mechanical/Miscellaneous)’ of the Customs Code Committee – Refusal of access – Exception relating to the protection of the decision-making process European Communities – Institutions – Right of public access to documents – Regulation No 1049/2001 – Exceptions to the right of access to documents (Regulation of the European Parliament and Council No 1049/2001, Art. 2(1) and 4(3), first para.) (see paras 74-75, 82, 84-88, 90-94) Re: APPLICATION for annulment of the Commission’s decision of 3 February 2005 refusing to grant access to certain documents relating to the September 2004 meeting of the Working Group of the ‘Tariff and Statistical Nomenclature Section (Mechanical/Miscellaneous) ’ : of the Customs Code Committee. Operative part The Court: 1. Annuls the Commission’s decision of 3 February 2005 inasmuch as it refused access to documents, ‘TAXUD/1369/2003’ relating to home cinema, ‘TAXUD/974/2004’ relating to vehicles for dual use, ‘TAXUD/1342/2003’, ‘TAXUD/2465/2004’ and ‘TAXUD/2495/2004’ relating to power supply units, ‘XXI/770/1998’ relating to incomplete ADP machines, and to the minutes of the September 2004 meeting of the Working Group of the ‘Tariff and Statistical Nomenclature Section (Mechanical/Miscellaneous)’ of the Customs Code Committee (document ‘TAXUD/3010/2004 – Annex V’); 2. Declares that there is no need to adjudicate on the remainder of the action; 3. Orders the Commission to pay the costs incurred by Mr Pablo Muñiz.