Information;Judgment — ECLI:EU:T:2024:667
Date: 2024-10-02
Language of the case: Portuguese
Court formation: Fifth Chamber
Subject matter: Provisions governing the Institutions;Access to documents
Procedure: Action for annulment - unfounded
Origin: Portugal

Judgment of the General Court of 2 October 2024 – Soares v Commission (Case T-606/23) 1 (Access to documents – Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 – Documents in the administrative file relating to a Commission State aid decision – Refusal of access – Exceptions relating to the protection of court proceedings and the purpose of investigations – General presumption of confidentiality – Overriding public interest – Obligation to state reasons) Language of the case: Portuguese Parties Applicant: Sara Soares (Porto, Portugal) (represented by: S. Gemas Donário, lawyer) Defendant: European Commission (represented by: M. Burón Pérez and K. Herrmann, acting as Agents) Re: By her action under Article 263 TFEU, the applicant seeks annulment of Commission Decision C(2023) 4938 final of 17 July 2023 refusing her access to documents which are part of the Commission’s administrative file relating to Commission Decision C(2020) 8550 final of 4 December 2020 on aid scheme SA.21259 (2018/C) (ex 2018/NN) implemented by Portugal for the Madeira Free Trade Zone (Zona Franca da Madeira – ZFM) – Regime III (OJ 2022 L 217, p. 49). Operative part of the judgment The Court: Dismisses the action; Orders Ms Sara Soares to bear her own costs and to pay those incurred by the European Commission. ____________ 1 OJ C/2023/1169, 4.12.2023.