Fifteen press freedom and media organizations sent an open letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday. They called on the EU executive to address a silent crisis that has hampered journalists seeking information for public scrutiny.
The appeal followed an inquiry opened last week by European Ombudswoman Teresa Anjinho. She launched the investigation after a complaint from a news outlet regarding the commission’s refusal to release 17 documents concerning EU-funded infrastructure projects in the Gaza Strip.
The media outlet EUobserver first requested the files in February. The request formed part of an investigation examining the extent to which Israeli attacks had destroyed infrastructure financed by the European Union in the Palestinian territory.
The commission refused to release the material at the time. Officials argued that no overriding public interest justified disclosure, and a subsequent appeal by the news organization went unanswered.
Anjinho asked the commission to respond to the appeal by November 4 at the latest. If the EU executive fails to provide a satisfactory response, the ombudswoman will examine the documents herself.
The 15 organizations urged the commission to commit to greater transparency during this inquiry. They stated that journalists routinely face severe delays in obtaining documents, questionable refusals, and extensive redactions that render released material largely meaningless.
The letter also stated that the commission sometimes fails to retain and properly archive key documents. These restrictions have hindered reporting on issues of major public interest, according to the signatories.
Such issues include how EU member states spent billions of euros in post-COVID recovery funds and cooperation with Israel on arms research. Public debate is being harmed across Europe, and citizens cannot make important political judgements at key moments, the letter added.
The signatories called on the commission to revoke its December 2024 internal rules of procedure. They stated these rules had made access to documents more difficult, and urged officials to ensure strict implementation of the regulation on public access to EU documents.
The groups also requested a renewed action plan to improve journalists’ access to information. This plan should include implementing recommendations from the European Ombudsman, fully complying with European Court of Justice rulings, and strengthening internal procedures for filing and archiving documents.
The European Commission’s reputation for safeguarding EU democratic values is in peril, the letter warned. The signatories included the Committee to Protect Journalists, EUobserver, the European Federation of Journalists, Follow the Money, Forbidden Stories, the International Federation of Journalists, the International Press Institute, Investigate Europe, and PEN International.
