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Document 62019TJ0517

    Judgment of the General Court (Ninth Chamber) of 1 September 2021.
    Andrea Homoki v European Commission.
    Access to documents – Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 – Final report of the OLAF investigation into the implementation of a street-lighting investment project in Hungary – Refusal to grant access – Exception relating to the protection of the purpose of inspections, investigations and audits – Exception relating to the protection of the commercial interests of a third party – Exception relating to the protection of privacy and the integrity of the individual – Protection of personal data.
    Case T-517/19.

    Court reports – general

    ECLI identifier: ECLI:EU:T:2021:529

     Judgment of the General Court (Ninth Chamber) of 1 September 2021 –
    Homoki v Commission

    (Case T‑517/19) ( 1 )

    (Access to documents – Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 – Final report of the OLAF investigation into the implementation of a street-lighting investment project in Hungary – Refusal to grant access – Exception relating to the protection of the purpose of inspections, investigations and audits – Exception relating to the protection of the commercial interests of a third party – Exception relating to the protection of privacy and the integrity of the individual – Protection of personal data)

    1. 

    Action for annulment – Actionable measures – Concept – Decision refusing an initial request for access to documents of an institution – Not included

    (Art. 263 TFEU; European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001, Art. 8)

    (see paras 19, 20)

    2. 

    EU institutions – Right of public access to documents – Regulation No 1049/2001 – Exceptions to the right of access to documents – Obligation to state reasons – Scope

    (European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001, Art. 4)

    (see paras 47-50)

    3. 

    EU institutions – Right of public access to documents – Regulation No 1049/2001 – Exceptions to the right of access to documents – Refusal to grant access – Possibility of relying on general presumptions applicable to certain categories of documents – Subject matter

    (European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001, Art. 4)

    (see paras 51, 54)

    4. 

    EU institutions – Right of public access to documents – Regulation No 1049/2001 – Exceptions to the right of access to documents – Protection of the purpose of inspections, investigations and audits – Application to documents on the administrative file of an investigation of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) – General presumption that disclosure of the said documents will undermine protection of the interests involved in such an investigation

    (European Parliament and Council Regulations No 1049/2001 and No 883/2013)

    (see paras 55-57)

    5. 

    European Union – Institutions – Right of public access to documents – Regulation No 1049/2001 – Exceptions to the right of access to documents – Protection of the purpose of inspections, investigations and audits – Scope – Application after the closure of those activities – Conditions

    (European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001, Art. 4(2), 3rd indent)

    (see paras 59-63)

    Operative part

    The Court:

    1. 

    Annuls Decision No OCM(2019)11506 of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) of 22 May 2019, in so far as it refused to grant access to the final report of the OLAF investigation in Case No OF/2015/0034/B4, with any personal data concerning witnesses, internal notes and references to OLAF’s methods redacted;

    2. 

    Dismisses the action as to the remainder;

    3. 

    Orders the Commission to pay the costs.


    ( 1 ) OJ C 328, 30.9.2019.

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