European Court of Justice ruling in Bavarian Lager saga
BRUSSELS: The European Commission last month came out on top in a ruling by Europe’s highest court, the European Court of Justice (ECJ), in an appeal against a 2007 ruling by Europe’s second-highest court, the European Court of First Instance (ECFI), over data protection rules.
The long-running legal saga could have forced EU regulators to give organisations greater insight into their decision-making processes.
The ECJ has backed a Commission decision to reject an attempt by a Lancashire-based company, Bavarian Lager, to get the details, including the names of those in attendance, of a 1996 meeting between EU officials and lobbyists from a brewery association.
In 2007 the ECFI ruled that Bavarian Lager should be allowed access to the meeting’s minutes (PAN, Dec 07). But the ECJ’s new ruling overturns this decision.
30th July 2010 by PAN staff
