Order of the General Court (Fifth Chamber) of 3 February 2012 — Ecologistas en Acción-CODA v Commission

(Case T‑359/10)

Action for annulment — Access to documents — Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 — Documents concerning the development plan for the Cabanyal quarter in Valencia (Spain) — Documents originating from a Member State — Refusal of access — Exception relating to protection of the purpose of inspections, investigations and audits — Exception relating to the protection of court proceedings and legal advice — Environmental information — Regulation (EC) No 1367/2006 — Action clearly without legal foundation

1.                     European Union — Institutions — Right of public access to documents — Request for access to environmental information — Regulation No 1367/2006 — Limitation of the right of access — Disclosure harming environmental protection — Further exception to the right of access (European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1367/2006, Art. 6) (see paras 26‑28)

2.                     Procedure — Introduction of new pleas during the proceedings — Conditions — New plea — Definition (Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 48(2), first para.) (see paras 33, 34, 45)

Re:

APPLICATION for annulment of the Commission decision of 30 June 2010 refusing the applicant access to certain documents concerning the investigation conducted by the Spanish authorities into the file EU‑PILOT 724/09/02 ENVI relating to the special plan for the protection and renovation of the Cabanyal quarter of the city of Valencia (Spain).

Operative part

1. The action is dismissed.

2. Ecologistas en Acción‑CODA is ordered to pay its own costs and those incurred by the European Commission.

3. The Kingdom of Spain is ordered to bear its own costs.