62021TJ0201_INF
Judgment of the General Court (Fifth Chamber) of 14 June 2023 –Covington & Burling and Van Vooren v Commission
(Case T‑201/21) (
1
)
(Access to documents – Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 – Standing Committee for Plants, Animals, Food and Feed – Individual positions of the Member States – Refusal to grant access – Article 4(3) of Regulation No 1049/2001 – Exception relating to protection of the decision-making process – Comitology – Regulation (EC) No 1925/2006)
1.
EU institutions – Right of public access to documents – Regulation No 1049/2001 – Failure by the institution concerned to observe the time limits prescribed for responding to a confirmatory request for access – Implicit rejection decision – Replacement by the adoption an express rejection decision – Possibility of bringing proceedings against the implied decision – No such possibility
(European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001, Arts 7 and 8)
(see paragraphs 14, 15)
2.
Action for annulment – Jurisdiction of the EU judicature – Request that directions be issued to an institution – Inadmissibility
(Art. 263 TFEU)
(see paragraphs 22, 23)
3.
EU institutions – Right of public access to documents – Regulation No 1049/2001 – Exceptions to the right of access to documents – Protection of the decision-making process – Scope – Documents inherent in the work of comitology committees – Access to documents showing the individual positions of the Member States – Whether permissible – Limits
(European Parliament and Council Regulations No 1049/2001, Art. 4(3), and No 182/2011, Art. 9)
(see paragraphs 42-45, 56, 59, 63-69, 73-75)
4.
EU institutions – Right of public access to documents – Regulation No 1049/2001 – Exceptions to the right of access to documents – Protection of the decision-making process – Conditions – Concrete, actual and serious detriment to that process
(European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001, Art. 4(3))
(see paragraphs 49-52)
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Declares that there is no longer any need to adjudicate on the claim for annulment of the implied decision refusing access of 12 March 2021;
2.
Annuls decision C(2021) 2541 final of the European Commission of 7 April 2021 to the extent that it refuses access to the individual votes of the representatives of the Member States on the basis of the second subparagraph of Article 4(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2001 regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents;
3.
Dismisses the action as to the remainder;
4.
Orders the Commission to pay the costs.
(
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)	OJ C 217, 7.6.2021.