In 2025, the EPPO received a total of 69 requests which it registered as public access applications. The EPPO replied to 1 application pending from 2024 and to 66 of the applications received in 2025. For three applications, the answer has still been pending at the end of 2025. The EPPO did not follow-up with a formal public access request decision in two cases, because the applicant did not specify a document and did not reply to the EPPO’s clarification request.
In its replies to initial applications, the EPPO granted access upon 13. The EPPO granted full access upon three of the initial applications. Further, on 10 other initial applications, the EPPO granted partial access, with 4 of them to protect the privacy and integrity of individuals and two to safeguard EPPO’s decision making process. Upon four initial applications, as they requested multiple documents, full access was given to some of the requested documents, but one other of the requested documents did not exist or did not pertain to EPPO.
Upon 52 initial applications, no access could be granted under the EPPO’s rules after having examined the requested documents.
11 confirmatory applications were lodged in 2025, out of which 10 were answered and the initial decision (8 to refuse access, 2 to grant partial access) was upheld. One other confirmatory application was still pending at the end of 2025.
Regarding the reasons, upon 31 initial applications, the EPPO refused to grant access to documents based on the reason that EPPO’s operational documents are exempt from the right to access under Article 109 of the EPPO Regulation.
In four cases, access was refused to protect the EPPO’s decision-making process. In one case, access was refused to protect the privacy and integrity of individuals. In one other case, both the protection of the privacy and integrity of individuals and of the EPPO’s decision-making process were the reasons. one denial was due to the protection of the privacy and integrity of individuals, as well as of an audit and the EPPO’s decision making process.
In 14 of the denied cases, the reason was that the request did not allow EPPO to identify any relevant document held by the EPPO.
One complaint was submitted to the European Ombudsman that related to a public access request to the EPPO. At the end of 2025, the Ombudsman inquiry was still ongoing.