Judgment of the Court (Ninth Chamber) of 14 July 2016 — Sea Handling SpA, in liquidation v European Commission

(C-271/15 P) ¹

(Appeal — Public right of access to documents of the EU institutions — Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 — Third indent of Article 4(2) — Exceptions to the right of access to documents — Incorrect interpretation — Obligation to state reasons — Documents relating to a procedure for reviewing State aid — Protection of the purpose of inspections, investigations and audits — General presumption of application of the exception to the right of access to all documents in the administrative file — Scope of the presumption of confidentiality — Application for access to the complaint which gave rise to an inquiry procedure — Refusal of access — Overriding public interest)

Language of the case: Italian

Parties

Appellant: Sea Handling SpA, in liquidation (represented by: B. Nascimbene and M. Merola, avvocati)

Other party to the proceedings: European Commission (represented by: F. Clotuche-Duvieusart, D. Grespan and D. Nardi, acting as Agents)

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:

1.    Dismisses the appeal;

2.    Orders Sea Handling SpA to pay the costs.

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¹ OJ C 311, 21.9.2015.