Judgment of the General Court (Fifth Chamber, Extended Composition) of 14 July 2021

Public.Resource.Org, Inc. and Right to Know CLG v European Commission

Access to documents – Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 – Harmonised standards – Documents concerning four harmonised standards approved by CEN – Refusal to grant access – Exception relating to the protection of the commercial interests of a third party – Protection deriving from copyright

Case T-185/19



Top of the page Documents in the Case
Document Date Name of the parties Subject-matter Curia EUR-Lex Autres Liens
Judgment (OJ)
27/08/2021 Public.Resource.Org and Right to Know v Commission
Judgment
ECLI:EU:T:2021:445
14/07/2021 Public.Resource.Org and Right to Know v Commission
Abstract
ECLI:EU:T:2021:445
14/07/2021 Public.Resource.Org and Right to Know v Commission
Order
ECLI:EU:T:2019:828
20/11/2019 Public.Resource.Org and Right to Know v Commission
Application (OJ)
03/05/2019 Public.Resource.Org and Right to Know v Commission
Top of the page Legal analysis of the decision or of the case

Reports of Cases

published in the electronic Reports of Cases (Court Reports - general)

Subject-matter

Information not available

Systematic classification scheme

1.
3 Legal proceedings
  3.02 Actions for annulment
    3.02.03 Applications by natural or legal persons
      3.02.03.01 Interest in bringing proceedings
2 Institutional framework of the European Union
  2.03 Right of public access to documents
    2.03.06 Contentious procedure
      2.03.06.01 Admissibility and jurisdiction
        2.03.06.01.01 Interest in bringing proceedings
3 Legal proceedings
  3.02 Actions for annulment
    3.02.03 Applications by natural or legal persons
      3.02.03.01 Interest in bringing proceedings
2 Institutional framework of the European Union
  2.03 Right of public access to documents
    2.03.03 Documents subject to special treatment
      2.03.03.01 Third-party documents
        2.03.03.01.02 Documents originating from other categories of third parties
2 Institutional framework of the European Union
  2.03 Right of public access to documents
    2.03.02 Exceptions
      2.03.02.03 Relative exceptions
        2.03.02.03.03 Protection of commercial interests
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.11 Approximation of laws
    4.11.16 Technical standards and regulations
      4.11.16.01 Standardisation
2 Institutional framework of the European Union
  2.03 Right of public access to documents
    2.03.02 Exceptions
      2.03.02.01 Principles
        2.03.02.01.00 General
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.11 Approximation of laws
    4.11.16 Technical standards and regulations
      4.11.16.01 Standardisation
2 Institutional framework of the European Union
  2.03 Right of public access to documents
    2.03.02 Exceptions
      2.03.02.03 Relative exceptions
        2.03.02.03.03 Protection of commercial interests
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.11 Approximation of laws
    4.11.16 Technical standards and regulations
      4.11.16.01 Standardisation
2 Institutional framework of the European Union
  2.03 Right of public access to documents
    2.03.02 Exceptions
      2.03.02.01 Principles
        2.03.02.01.02 Obligation to state reasons
2 Institutional framework of the European Union
  2.03 Right of public access to documents
    2.03.02 Exceptions
      2.03.02.03 Relative exceptions
        2.03.02.03.01 Overriding public interest
2 Institutional framework of the European Union
  2.03 Right of public access to documents
    2.03.02 Exceptions
      2.03.02.03 Relative exceptions
        2.03.02.03.01 Overriding public interest
2 Institutional framework of the European Union
  2.03 Right of public access to documents
    2.03.02 Exceptions
      2.03.02.03 Relative exceptions
        2.03.02.03.03 Protection of commercial interests
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.11 Approximation of laws
    4.11.16 Technical standards and regulations
      4.11.16.01 Standardisation
2 Institutional framework of the European Union
  2.03 Right of public access to documents
    2.03.01 Scope
      2.03.01.04 Relationship with specific rights of access
        2.03.01.04.01 Right of access to environmental information
2 Institutional framework of the European Union
  2.03 Right of public access to documents
    2.03.02 Exceptions
      2.03.02.03 Relative exceptions
        2.03.02.03.01 Overriding public interest
2 Institutional framework of the European Union
  2.03 Right of public access to documents
    2.03.01 Scope
      2.03.01.04 Relationship with specific rights of access
        2.03.01.04.01 Right of access to environmental information


Citations of case-law or legislation

References in grounds of judgment

Operative part

Information not available

Opinion

Information not available


Dates

Date of the lodging of the application initiating proceedings

  • 28/03/2019

Date of the Opinion

Information not available

Date of the hearing

Information not available

Date of delivery

14/07/2021


References

Publication in the Official Journal

Information not available

Name of the parties

Public.Resource.Org and Right to Know v Commission

Notes on Academic Writings

  1. Maes, Marc: Le droit d’accès du public aux documents des institutions de l’Union européenne et la protection du droit d’auteur : l’arrêt du Tribunal de l’UE du 14 juillet 2021 dans l’affaire T-185/19, Public. Resource.Org et Right to Know contre Commission*, Revue du droit de l'Union européenne 2022, nº 2, p. 341-346 (FR)
  2. Gérardy, Marie: The Use of Copyrighted Technical Standards in the Operationalisation of European Union Law: The Status Quo Position of the General Court in Public.Resources.Org (T-185/19), European Journal of Risk Regulation 2022 nº 3 p. 532-537 (EN)



Procedural Analysis Information

Source of the question referred for a preliminary ruling

Information not available

Subject-matter

  • Principles of Union law
  • - Access to documents

Provisions of national law referred to

Information not available

Provisions of international law referred to

Information not available

Procedure and result

  • Actions for annulment : dismissal on substantive grounds

Formation of the Court

Cinquième chambre élargie (Tribunal)

Judge-Rapporteur

Spineanu-Matei

Advocate General

Information not available

Language(s) of the Case

  • English

Language(s) of the Opinion

    Information not available