Right of access to documents: the implementation of Article 42 of the Charter of Fundamentals Rights

Right of access to documents is an integral part of the legal framework seeking to ensure democracy and transparency of the EU decision-making process. The paper discusses the evolution of this right in the European legal order focusing on the EU institutions activities dealing with three essential aspects: the gradual ‘constitutionalization’ of a fundamental right of access to information for citizens, the extension of this right beyond EU citizens to “any natural or legal person residing or having its registered office in a Member State” and finally the movement towards a position of facilitating such access to information via digital means.