The European Commission should have granted an NGO access to documents on pesticide approvals, an EU court ruled — the latest setback for the institution in a string of transparency battles.
The General Court in Luxembourg ruled Wednesday in favor of ClientEarth, an NGO that challenged the Commission’s refusal in 2021 to provide information it requested about the renewed approval of cypermethrin — a substance known to harm bees and fish.
The NGO had asked to see the positions shared by EU countries in closed-door meetings. The Commission argued that to do so could put the trust between itself and EU countries — and therefore the decision-making process — “under strain.”
The ruling could have broader implications for scrutiny of EU decision-making, pointing to limits on the Commission’s ability to keep countries’ positions confidential. It also adds to a growing line of cases testing how far transparency rules stretch when institutions argue disclosure could disrupt internal deliberations.
