Civil Society Europe has filed a complaint against the European Commission for refusing public access to a study commissioned on the Defence of democracy package. The complaint, received by the European Ombudsman, outlines the EC denial of access to the study and related documents, citing the ongoing nature of the study. The complainant, a civil society organization, sought access to the study in light of its potential impact on the Commission’s internal discussions and actions set for release in June 2023. The Commission failed to make a confirmatory decision within the specified deadline, prompting the Ombudsman to initiate an inquiry. The Ombudsman requests specific documents, including drafts of the study and related correspondence, and invites the Commission to provide additional views by November 20, 2023. Read more here and here.
Source: Civil Society Europe/ European Ombudsman