Judgment of the General Court (Fifth Chamber) of 19 November 2014

1. Acts of the institutionsStatement of reasonsObligationScopeAssessment of the obligation to state reasons by reference to the circumstances of the case (Art. 296 TFEU) (see paras 20, 49, 50)

2. EU institutionsRight of public access to documentsRegulation No 1049/2001Subject-matterExceptions to the right of access to documentsStrict interpretation and application (Art. 1, second para., TEU; European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001, first, second, fourth and eleventh recitals, Arts 1 and 4) (see paras 21-23, 25)

3. EU institutionsRight of public access to documentsRegulation No 1049/2001Exceptions to the right of access to documentsDuty to balance relevant interests (European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001, Art. 4(2)) (see para. 24)

4. EU institutionsRight of public access to documentsRegulation No 1049/2001Exceptions to the right of access to documentsRefusal of accessRequirement that the institution should examine the documents specifically and individuallyPossibility to base reasoning on general presumptions applying to certain categories of documentsLimits (European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001, Art. 4(1) to (3)) (see paras 27, 28, 31-35, 38, 41)

5. EU institutionsRight of public access to documentsRegulation No 1049/2001Exceptions to the right of access to documentsObligation to grant partial access to data not covered by the exceptions (European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001, Art. 4(6)) (see para. 45)

6. EU institutionsRight of public access to documentsRegulation No 1049/2001Institution’s duty of assistance where application not sufficiently precise (European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001, Art. 6(2)) (see para. 46)

Re:

APPLICATION for annulment of the decision of the ECDC of 27 March 2012 (DIR-12-0636-MSrukr) refusing the applicant access to the final audit reports carried out on the ECDC by the Internal Audit Service of the European Commission.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Annuls the decision of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) of 27 March 2012 (DIR-12-0636-MSrukr) refusing Mr Ioannis Ntouvas access to the final audit reports carried out on the ECDC by the Internal Audit Service of the European Commission;

2. Orders the ECDC to pay the costs.