European Ombudsman

• Decision on how the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) dealt with a request for public access to meeting minutes of its Management Board (case 1948/2024/PVV)

  The case concerned a request for public access to meeting minutes of the Management Board of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol). Europol identified two documents as falling within the scope of the request and granted partial access. In doing so, it invoked six exceptions under the EU legislation on public access to documents, arguing that full disclosure could undermine the protection of the public interest as regards public security and international relations, the privacy and integrity of the individual, legal advice, the purpose of audits, and Europol’s ongoing and closed decision-making processes.

  The Ombudsman opened an inquiry and her inquiry team inspected the documents in question. Following this inspection, the Ombudsman was not convinced by the application of the exceptions to public access as invoked by Europol. The Ombudsman therefore made a proposal for a solution, asking Europol to reconsider its position on the request with a vi

• Proposal for a solution on how the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) dealt with a request for public access to meeting minutes of its Management Board (case 1948/2024/PVV)

  Made in accordance with Article 2(10) of the Statute of the European Ombudsman[1]

  Background to the complaint

  1.The main governance body of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) is its Management Board.[2] The Management Board is composed of one representative of each Member State and one representative of the European Commission. The Board comes together about four times a year and it provides Europol with strategic guidance while overseeing its activities. In accordance with the Europol Regulation[3], summaries of the outcome of the meetings of the Management Board are published on Europol’s website[4]. For day-to-day governance, an Executive Director heads Europol with the assistance of three Deputy Directors (the Europol Directorate).

  2.Against t

• The European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol)'s Management Board Response to European Ombudsman’s proposal regarding Case 1948/2024/PVV

  Please download pdf document attached.

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