62024TJ0227_INF
Judgment of the General Court (Second Chamber) of 14 May 2025 –Smart Kid v Commission
(Case T‑227/24)
(Access to documents – Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 – Documents relating to discussions between the Commission and a direct competitor of the applicant – Refusal to grant access – Exception relating to the protection of commercial interests – Obligation to state reasons)
1.
EU institutions – Right of public access to documents – Regulation No 1049/2001 – Exceptions to the right of access to documents – Refusal to grant access – Obligation to state reasons – Scope
(Art. 296, 2nd para., TFEU; European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001, Art. 4)
(see paragraphs 19-21, 26, 27)
2.
EU institutions – Right of public access to documents – Regulation No 1049/2001 – Exceptions to the right of access to documents – Protection of commercial interests – Scope – Documents containing information on the working methods of a company – Included – Condition
(European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001, Art. 4(2), first indent)
(see paragraphs 36-39, 44, 62, 65, 74)
3.
EU institutions – Right of public access to documents – Regulation No 1049/2001 – Exceptions to the right of access to documents – Protection of the commercial interests of a given person – Scope – Documents relating to discussions between the Commission and a direct competitor of the applicant – Possible damage to the applicant’s reputation – Precluded
(European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001, Art. 4(2), first indent)
(see paragraphs 55, 56)
4.
EU institutions – Right of public access to documents – Regulation No 1049/2001 – Exceptions to the right of access to documents – Protection of the commercial interests of a third party – Protection deriving from copyright – Review by the institution – Scope
(European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001, Art. 4(2), first indent)
(see paragraph 72)
5.
EU institutions – Right of public access to documents – Regulation No 1049/2001 – Exceptions to the right of access to documents – Protection of commercial interests – Scope – Assembly of non-confidential information originating from published scientific studies – Assembly of non-confidential and confidential information originating from scientific studies – Included – Condition – Requirement to demonstrate added value, resulting from compilation work or an inventive strategy, giving the undertaking a commercial advantage
(European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001, Art. 4(2), first indent)
(see paragraphs 76, 77, 80, 85)
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Annuls Commission Decision C(2024) 1118 final of 15 February 2024 in so far as it refused, in part or in full, access to documents 1, 2 and 2.1, as identified in point 1 of that decision, on the basis of the first indent of Article 4(2) 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;
2.
Orders the European Commission to the pay the costs.