WWF Bites Euro Government
WWF European Policy Programme v Council of the European Union
(supported by Commission of the European Communities, intervener)
(Case T-264/04)
CF:
25 April 2007
Weekly Law Notes Summary
The public right of access to documents of the EC institutions entailed in principle an obligation on the part of the institutions to document their activities.
The Fourth Chamber of the Court of First Instance of the European Communities so held, inter alia, when dismissing the applicant’s action for annulment of a decision of the Council refusing access to certain documents.
Art 2 of European Parliament and Council Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 on public access to Parliament, Council and Commission documents provides: “(1) Any … natural or legal person … in a member state has a right of access to documents of the institutions, subject to … this Regulation … (3) This Regulation shall apply to all documents held by an institution …” Art 4(1) provides: “The institutions shall refuse access to a document where disclosure would undermine the protection of: (a) the public interest as regards [specified matters]”.