Judgment of the General Court of 15 September 2016 — Herbert Smith Freehills v Commission

(Case T-755/14) ¹

(Access to documents — Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 — Documents relating to discussions preceding the adoption of the directive on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States concerning the manufacture, presentation and sale of tobacco and related products — Refusal to grant access — Exception relating to the protection of legal advice — Rights of the defence — Overriding public interest)

Language of the case: English

Parties

Applicant: Herbert Smith Freehills LLP (London, United Kingdom) (represented by: P. Wytinck, lawyer)

Defendant: European Commission (represented by: P. Van Nuffel, J. Baquero Cruz and F. Clotuche-Duvieusart, acting as Agents)

Intervener in support of the defendant: Council of the European Union (represented by: E. Rebasti, J. Herrmann and M. Veiga, acting as Agents)

Re:

Application based on Article 263 TFEU and seeking annulment of Commission Decision Gestdem 2014/2070 of 24 September 2014 refusing access to certain documents relating to the adoption of Directive 2014/40/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 3 April 2014 on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States concerning the manufacture, presentation and sale of tobacco and related products and repealing Directive 2001/37/EC (OJ 2014 L 127, p. 1).

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:

Dismisses the action;

Orders Herbert Smith Freehills LLP to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by the European Commission;

Orders the Council of the European Union to bear its own costs.

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¹ OJ C 26, 26.1.2015.