President
European Commission

 

Dear President,

I have received a complaint against the European Commission. The complaint concerns the decision of the Commission not to invite the press to a high-level conference on competitiveness that other external stakeholders could attend.

I have decided to open an inquiry into this complaint.

Journalists raised their concerns about this situation during the Commission’s midday briefing of 15 September 2025. The Commission explained that there was a lack of space in the selected venue. The complainant, also a journalist, takes issue with that decision and the explanation provided by the Commission. Specifically, the complainant argues that denying press access to such an event amounts to a violation of press freedom as guaranteed by Article 11 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights. He considers that this is especially the case considering that, during the event, matters of public importance were discussed, including by Members of the Commission. In his view, this denial of access raises serious concerns in terms of transparency, equal treatment of journalists to other stakeholders, and compliance with the Commission’s own rules.

As a first inquiry step, I invite the Commission to send a written reply to the following questions:

A. Could the Commission detail its rules and/or guidelines as regards attendance of events by external stakeholders (including the press)?

B. As regards the High-level conference on competitiveness specifically:

• i. How did the Commission select attendees? Why were journalists not invited?
• ii. Was online participation possible, and if so, what types of stakeholders participated online?
• iii. Could the Commission please provide information on how the conference was organised in practical terms, including the panel sessions (same venue as for the keynote speeches or not, attendance to the different panels, etc.) and the means by which participants could ask questions?

C. Could the Commission reply to the complaint, in particular as regards allegations of violation of Article 11 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, lack of transparency, unequal treatment of journalists, and non-compliance with applicable rules?

I invite the Commission to send its reply by 26 February 2026. Please note that the reply will be shared with the complainant for comments. I am also likely to publish your reply.^[1]

The responsible inquiries officer is Ms Amandine Le Bellec.

Yours sincerely,

Teresa Anjinho
European Ombudsman

Strasbourg, 26/11/2025

 

[1] If the Commission shares further information or documents with my services, that it considers confidential, such material should be clearly marked ‘Confidential’. Encrypted emails can be sent to our dedicated mailbox.