Order of the General Court (Sixth Chamber) of 25 May 2016 —
Syndial v Commission

(Case T‑581/15)

Action for annulment — Access to documents — Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 — Documents relating to an infringement procedure against Italy — Possible non-compliance with Directives 2011/92/EU and 1999/13/EC — Reclamation of a former industrial site (Cengio-Saliceto) — Refusal of access — Action manifestly lacking any foundation in law

1.                     EU institutions — Right of public access to documents — Regulation No 1049/2001 — Subject-matter — Exceptions to the right of access to documents — Strict interpretation and application (European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001, fourth and eleventh recitals and Arts 1 and 4) (see para. 28)

2.                     EU institutions — Right of public access to documents — Regulation No 1049/2001 — Requirement that the institution should examine the documents specifically and individually — Scope (European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001, Art. 4(2)) (see paras 30, 32, 33)

3.                     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 concerning a procedure for failure to fulfil obligations during the pre-contentions phase of the latter — General presumption that the exception applies to the right of access to all the documents on the administrative file — Lawfulness — Limits (Art. 258, first para., TFEU; European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001, Art. 4(2), third indent) (see paras 34, 36)

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 — Overriding public interest justifying the disclosure of documents — Reliance on the principles of transparency and sound administration — Need to adduce special considerations in relation the case (European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001, Art. 4(2), third indent) (see paras 37-39, 45)

5.                     EU institutions — Right of public access to documents — Regulation No 1049/2001 — Exceptions to the right of access to documents — Overriding public interest justifying the disclosure of documents — Concept — Subjective interest of the person concerned in defending himself — Not included (Art. 15 TFEU; European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001, Arts 2(1), and 4(3), second subpara.) (see paras 43, 44)

6.                     EU institutions — Right of public access to documents — Regulation No 1049/2001 — Exceptions to the right of access to documents — Obligation to grant partial access to data not covered by the exceptions — Application to documents falling within a category covered by a general presumption of refusal of access — Not included (European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001, Art. 4(6)) (see paras 53, 54)

Re:

ACTION based on Article 263 TFEU and seeking annulment of the Commission’s decision of 3 August 2015 refusing to grant the applicant access to the documents concerning the procedure relating to a possible failure on the part of the Italian Republic to comply with its obligations under Directive 2011/92/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment (OJ 2012 L 26, p. 1) and under Council Directive 1999/31/EC of 26 April 1999 on the landfill of waste (OJ 1999 L 182, p. 1).

Operative part

1. The action is dismissed.

2. Syndial SpA — Attività Diversificate is ordered to bear its own costs and pay those incurred by the European Commission.