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Document 62021TJ0597

    Judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 15 March 2023.
    Giorgio Basaglia v European Commission.
    Access to documents – Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 – Documents concerning various projects in the context of the eTEN programmes and of the fifth and sixth framework programmes for research and technological development – Partial refusal to grant access – Unavailability of documents – Unilateral restriction of the scope of the request for access – Obligation to carry out a specific and individual examination – Unreasonable workload – Article 266 TFEU – Decision adopted to give effect to a judgment of the General Court – Measures necessary to give effect to a judgment delivered in an action for annulment.
    Case T-597/21.

    ECLI identifier: ECLI:EU:T:2023:133

     Judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 15 March 2023 –
    Basaglia v Commission

    (Case T‑597/21) ( 1 )

    (Access to documents – Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 – Documents concerning various projects in the context of the eTEN programmes and of the fifth and sixth framework programmes for research and technological development – Partial refusal to grant access – Unavailability of documents – Unilateral restriction of the scope of the request for access – Obligation to carry out a specific and individual examination – Unreasonable workload – Article 266 TFEU – Decision adopted to give effect to a judgment of the General Court – Measures necessary to give effect to a judgment delivered in an action for annulment)

    1. 

    EU institutions – Right of public access to documents – Regulation No 1049/2001 – Refusal of access to a document on the ground that it does not exist or is not held by the institution concerned – Presumption of non-existence based on the statement to that effect by the institution concerned – Simple presumption rebuttable on the basis of relevant and consistent evidence – Application by analogy where documents have not been found

    (European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001, Arts 2(1) and (3))

    (see paragraphs 25-28, 38, 40)

    2. 

    EU institutions – Right of public access to documents – Regulation No 1049/2001 – No general obligation to retain data – Possibility to ensure enforcement of the obligation by means of an application for access – Not included

    (European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001, Art. 2(1))

    (see paragraph 31)

    3. 

    EU institutions – Right of public access to documents – Regulation No 1049/2001 – Requirement that the institution should examine the documents specifically and individually – Examination proving particularly onerous and inappropriate – Derogation from the obligation to examine – Limited scope – Burden of proof lying with the institution – Obligation of the institution to liaise with the applicant

    (European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001, Arts 6(3), 7(3) and 8(2))

    (see paragraphs 49-57, 90, 91, 93, 97)

    4. 

    EU institutions – Right of public access to documents – Regulation No 1049/2001 – Requirement that the institution should examine the documents specifically and individually – Unreasonable burden of work – Estimate of the time necessary to process the request for access – Account taken of documents with varying levels of complexity – Previously examined documents – Irrelevant – Period for consulting third parties – Included – Inaccurate or excessive estimate of the time necessary to process the request for access – None

    (European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001, Arts 4(4), 7 and 8)

    (see paragraphs 67, 71, 74, 76-79, 81)

    5. 

    EU institutions – Right of public access to documents – Regulation No 1049/2001 – Requirement that the institution should examine the documents specifically and individually – Unreasonable burden of work – No obligation to take account of the applicant’s particular interest in defending himself or herself in national proceedings

    (European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001, Art. 2(1))

    (see paragraphs 83-87, 107)

    6. 

    Action for annulment – Judgment annulling a measure – Effects – Obligation to implement – Scope

    (Art. 266 TFEU)

    (see paragraphs 101, 104)

    7. 

    EU institutions – Right of public access to documents – Regulation No 1049/2001 – Conduct of the institution – No breach of the principle of good faith

    (European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001)

    (see paragraphs 110-112)

    Operative part

    The Court:

    1. 

    Dismisses the action;

    2. 

    Orders Mr Giorgio Basaglia to pay the costs.


    ( 1 ) OJ C 462, 15.11.2021.

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