1. On 11 December 2018, the complainant made a request to the European Commission for public access to a number of e-mails that had been exchanged between a Commission staff member and a publisher. On 9 January 2019, the Commission stated that it could not register the request as the complainant had failed to indicate his postal address. The complainant provided his postal address on the same day. As the Commission did not register the request after that, the complainant turned to the Ombudsman on 24 January 2019.

2. The Ombudsman’s inquiry team contacted the Commission. The Commission then replied to the complainant on 18 February 2019, refusing him access. It apologised for the delay incurred and informed the complainant about his right to request a review of its decision not to grant public access.

3. As a reply has now been sent, this complaint is resolved^[1] and I have decided to close the case^[2].

 

Fergal Ó Regan

Coordination of Public Interest Inquiries - Unit 2

Strasbourg, 01/03/2019

 

[1] If the complainant makes a request for review and considers that the institution’s reply is not satisfactory, it is open to him to make a new complaint to the Ombudsman.

[2] This complaint has been dealt with under delegated case handling, in accordance with Article 11 of the Decision of the European Ombudsman adopting Implementing Provisions