62021TJ0643_INF
Judgment of the General Court (Ninth Chamber) of 6 September 2023 –Foodwatch v Commission
(Case T‑643/21) (
1
)
(Access to documents – Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 – Preparatory document for a meeting of the RCF – CETA between Canada, of the one part, and the European Union and its Member States, of the other part – Partial refusal of access – Exception relating to the protection of the public interest in matters of international relations – Obligation to state reasons – Obligation to carry out a concrete examination)
1.
EU institutions – Right of public access to documents – Regulation No 1049/2001 – Exceptions to the right of access to documents – Protection of the public interest – International relations – Refusal to grant access – Obligation to state reasons – Scope
(European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001, Art. 4(1)(a), third indent)
(see paragraphs 22-25, 37-40)
2.
EU institutions – Right of public access to documents – Regulation No 1049/2001 – Exceptions to the right of access to documents – Protection of the public interest – International relations – Scope – Note of an institution dealing with the specific content of an envisaged agreement or Union objectives in the negotiations – Preparatory document for a meeting relating to such an international agreement – Included
(European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001, Art. 4(1)(a), third indent)
(see paragraphs 57-59, 64-67)
3.
Judicial proceedings – Time limit for producing evidence – Article 85(2) of the Rules of Procedure of the General Court – Scope
(Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Arts 85(1) and (2) and 92(7))
(see paragraphs 79-81)
4.
Action for annulment – Review of legality – Criteria – Account taken only of elements of fact and law existing at the date on which the contested measure was adopted
(Art. 263 TFEU)
(see paragraphs 82, 83)
5.
EU institutions – Right of public access to documents – Regulation No 1049/2001 – Exceptions to the right of access to documents – Protection of the public interest – Judicial review – Scope – Limits
(European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001, Art. 4(1)(a))
(see paragraphs 92, 93)
6.
EU institutions – Right of public access to documents – Regulation No 1049/2001 – Exceptions to the right of access to documents – Protection of the public interest – International relations – Refusal to disclose documents in the event of a reasonably foreseeable and not purely hypothetical risk of undermining the protection of those relations – Whether permissible
(European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001, Art. 4(1)(a), third indent)
(see paragraphs 94, 97, 98, 119)
7.
EU institutions – Right of public access to documents – Regulation No 1049/2001 – Exceptions to the principle of access to documents – Obligation to grant partial access to data not covered by the exceptions – Scope
(European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001, Art. 4(6))
(see paragraph 101)
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Dismisses the action;
2.
Orders Foodwatch eV to pay the costs.
(
1
)	OJ C 481, 29.11.2021.