Court rejects journalists’ calls for full EU transparency

Euractiv.com reports that the European Commission can restrict public access to the documents it files in lawsuits until after cases are decided, the European Court of Justice ruled yesterday (21 September), rejecting a request by a leading journalists' trade union based in Brussels.


The Commission can "refuse an application for access to documents, without being under an obligation to undertake a specific examination," the judges ruled.

But once a judgement has been issued, the Commission can no longer withhold documents from the public eye, the Court said.
The case relates to requests from journalists for access to European Commission documents regarding sensitive cases, including the EU’s ‘Open Skies’ package of legislation, which were first tabled by the Association de la Presse Internationale (API) – a group representing Belgium-based foreign reporters - in 2003.

Read more here: http://www.euractiv.com/en/pa/court-rejects-journalists-calls-full-eu-transparency-news-497992?utm_source=EurActiv+Newsletter&utm_campaign=eb7e459cc7-my_google_analytics_key&utm_medium=email