Case C‑809/23
Sumitomo Chemical Agro Europe SAS
v
Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l’alimentation, de l’environnement et du travail (ANSES) and Compagnie européenne de réalisations antiparasitaires SAS France (CERA)
(Request for a preliminary ruling from the le Conseil d’État (France))
Judgment of the Court (Seventh Chamber) of 20 March 2025
( Reference for a preliminary ruling – Biocidal products – Directive 98/8/EC – Regulation (EU) No 528/2012 – Applicability ratione temporis – Transitional rules – Access to information – Articles 66 and 67 – Request for access to a report on the technical equivalence of active substances in biocidal products drawn up by the competent authority of a Member State – Protection of commercial interests – Directive 2003/4/EC – Applicability ratione materiae – Article 4(2) – Concept of ‘information on emissions into the environment’ )
1.        Approximation of laws – Biocidal products – Regulation No 528/2012 – Scope ratione temporis – Biocidal product authorised in accordance with Directive 98/8 – Request for access to information on an active substance contained in an authorised biocidal product – Request submitted after the date of entry into force of the regulation – Included
(European Parliament and Council Regulation No 528/2012, Arts 91, first para., 96 and 97, and Annex III, Title 2, point 2.5; European Parliament and Council Directive 98/8, Art. 26)
(see paragraphs 46-50, operative part 1)
2.        Approximation of laws – Biocidal products – Regulation No 528/2012 – Access to information – Product with an authorisation to be placed on the market – Refusal to grant access to the information on the methods of analysis which have made it possible to establish the technical equivalence of the active substances contained in that product – Precluded – Limits
(European Parliament and Council Regulation No 528/2012, Arts 19(1)(c) and 66(2) and (3)(j), and Annex III, Title 2, point 2.5)
(see paragraphs 54-60, operative part 2)
3.        Approximation of laws – Biocidal products – Regulation No 528/2012 – Access to information – Report establishing the technical equivalence of an active substance contained in an authorised biocidal product with an approved active substance – Making publicly available – Precluded
(European Parliament and Council Regulation No 528/2012, Arts 30(3)(a), 54 and 67(1)(h), 3(e) and 4(b), and Annex III, Title 2, point 2.5; European Parliament and Council Directive 98/8, Art. 26)
(see paragraphs 62-69, 71, operative part 3)
4.        Approximation of laws – Biocidal products – Regulation No 528/2012 – Access to information – Specific and comprehensive regime for access to information on biocidal products derogating from the general scheme for access to environmental information as defined by Directive 2003/4 – None
(Aarhus Convention, Art. 4(4), first subpara., (d); European Parliament and Council Regulations No 1367/2006, Art. 6(1), No 1907/2006, recital 117, and No 528/2012, Arts 66 and 67; European Parliament and Council Directives 98/8, Art. 19(1), and 2003/4, recital 5 and Arts 2, 3(1) and 4(2))
(see paragraphs 73, 78-87, operative part 4)
5.        Environment – Right of access to information – Directive 2003/4 – Grounds for refusal to disclose information relating to the environment – Information on emissions into the environment – Concept – Information contained in a report on the assessment of the technical equivalence of an active substance, contained in an authorised biocidal product, with an approved active substance – Precluded
(European Parliament and Council Regulation No 528/2012; European Parliament and Council Directive 2003/4, Art. 4(2), second subpara.)
(see paragraphs 90-101, operative part 5)
See the text of the decision.