The case concerned a request for public access to a letter from the European Commission to the Czech authorities concerning audits in relation to potential conflicts of interest in Czechia linked to EU funds. The Commission refused to make public the letter, arguing that doing so could prevent the audits from being successfully completed.

The Ombudsman considered that the Commission should give partial access to the letter. Doing so would reassure the public that the Commission was taking appropriate action to protect EU funds in the context of this case.

The Commission accepted this solution and granted the complainant access to those paragraphs of the letter that the Ombudsman considered could be disclosed. The Ombudsman considered that, by doing so, the Commission resolved the complaint. She therefore closed her inquiry.