62023CJ0051_INF
Judgment of the Court (Eighth Chamber) of 29 July 2024 –Validity v Commission
(Case C‑51/23 P) (
1
)
(Appeal – Access to documents – Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 – Article 4(3) – Access to documents drawn up by an institution for internal use or relating to a matter where a decision has not been taken by that institution – Documents relating to a draft call for proposals co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) – Decision refusing access to documents originating from a Member State – Decision granting access to those documents, adopted after the action for annulment of the decision refusing access was brought – No interest in bringing proceedings)
1.
Action for annulment – Natural or legal persons – Interest in bringing proceedings – Need for a vested and present interest – Assessment at the time when the action was brought – Action capable of securing a benefit for the applicant
(Art. 263 TFEU)
(see paragraph 32)
2.
Appeal – Interest in bringing proceedings – Condition – Appeal capable of procuring an advantage for the party bringing it – Appeal seeking to challenge a judgment of the General Court concerning access to documents in order to avoid the recurrence, in the future, of decisions of the institutions vitiated by unlawfulness – Alleged unlawful acts that are unlikely to recur in the future – No longer any (legal) interest in bringing proceedings
(Statute of the Court of Justice, Art. 56; Rules of Procedure of the Court of Justice, Art. 190(1))
(see paragraphs 33, 34, 39, 40, 43)
3.
EU institutions – Right of public access to documents – Regulation No 1049/2001 – Exceptions to the right of access to documents – Documents originating from a Member State – Power of the Member State to request the institution not to disclose documents – Obligation on the institution not to disclose them without prior agreement
(European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001, Art. 4(5))
(see paragraph 36)
4.
EU institutions – Right of public access to documents – Regulation No 1049/2001 – Obligations of the institution concerned as regards the processing of an application for access – Obligation to make a full examination of applications for access as soon as the initial application is received – Scope
(European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001, recital 13 and Arts 7 and 8)
(see paragraphs 49-51, 62)
5.
EU institutions – Right of public access to documents – Regulation No 1049/2001 – Time limit prescribed for replying to an initial application for access – Exceeded – Consequences – Option for the applicant to make a confirmatory application
(European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001, Art. 7(1) and (4))
(see paragraph 56)
6.
EU institutions – Right of public access to documents – Regulation No 1049/2001 – Time-limit prescribed for replying to a confirmatory request for access – Exceeded – Implied rejection decision open to a legal action
(Art. 263 TFEU; European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001, Art. 8(1) to (3))
(see paragraphs 57, 58)
7.
Appeal – Grounds – Incorrect assessment of the facts and evidence – Inadmissibility – Review by the Court of Justice of the assessment of the facts and evidence – Possible only where the facts or evidence have been distorted – Ground of appeal alleging distortion of the clear sense of the evidence – Need to indicate precisely the evidence alleged to have been distorted and show the errors of appraisal which led to that distortion – Requirement that the distortion be obvious from the documents in the file
(Art. 256(1) TFEU; Statute of the Court of Justice, Art. 58, first para.; Rules of Procedure of the Court, Art. 168(1)(d))
(see paragraphs 68-70)
8.
Appeal – Grounds – Specific criticism of a point of the General Court’s reasoning necessary
(Art. 256(1) TFEU; Statute of the Court of Justice, Art. 58, first para.; Rules of Procedure of the Court, Arts 168(1)(d) and 169(2))
(see paragraph 73)
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Dismisses the appeal;
2.
Orders Validity Foundation – Mental Disability Advocacy Centre to pay the costs.
(
1
)	OJ C 189, 30.5.2023.