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Ombudsman inquiry on Commission President’s text messages is a wake-up call for EU

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The European Ombudsman inquiry into the Commission’s handling of a request for text messages between its President and the CEO of a pharmaceutical company is a wake-up call for all EU institutions about ensuring accountability in an era of instant messaging. One year after the initial request by a journalist, the Commission has still not clarified whether messages reported to concern major vaccine procurement deals exist and whether the public is entitled to see them. The Ombudsman had asked the Commission, in a finding of maladministration in January, to conduct a more thorough search for the text messages. The Commission’s recent response failed to say whether it had looked directly and correctly for the text messages and if not, why not. While the response recognised that work-related text messages can be EU documents, it reiterated that the Commission’s internal policy is, in effect, not to register text messages. The Ombudsman has closed  the inquiry  and upheld...
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Greek Administrative Court rules state liable for Covid-19 vaccine side effects due to "excessive sacrifice"

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Greece: The Administrative Court of First Instance of Athens, in its decision no. 4202/2025, has ruled that the Greek State is liable for damages sustained by an individual due to side effects following a preventive "COVID-19" vaccination. This landmark decision was issued in a compensation lawsuit filed against the Hellenic Republic. The Case: Seeking Compensation for Vaccine-Related Harm The lawsuit was brought by a plaintiff seeking compensation for material damage and moral harm (non-pecuniary damage), alleging that they suffered severe side effects after their preventive COVID-19 vaccination with a specific vaccine. The initial claim was for €461,835.26, but this amount was subsequently restricted during the proceedings. The plaintiff based their claim on two legal grounds: Article 105 of the Introductory Law of the Civil Code (EισNAK): This article concerns the State's liability for compensation arising from illegal acts or omissions of its organs in the exe...
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Landmark Murder Conviction for Illegal Street Racing in Germany

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Following a fatal illegal street race in Ludwigsburg in March 2025, the Stuttgart District Court (LG Stuttgart) has issued a landmark ruling. The primary defendant was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, while his brother received 13 years for attempted murder. The race resulted in the deaths of two innocent young women when their vehicle was rammed at speeds exceeding 130 km/h in a 50 km/h zone. Intent vs. Negligence The core of the legal debate centered on the definition of intent. The defense argued for "negligent homicide," claiming the defendants never intended to kill anyone. The court applied the principle of eventual intent (dolus eventualis). It ruled that by racing at extreme speeds in a residential area, the defendants recognized the life-threatening danger and "accepted" the possibility of a fatal outcome in pursuit of the thrill of the race. The ruling utilizes Section 315d of the German Criminal Code (StGB), known as the "Raserparag...
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ECtHR Judgement against Greece: Disclosure of the identities and medical data of prostitutes diagnosed with HIV was a breach of their right to private life

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The case of O.G. and Others v. Greece (applications nos. 71555/12 and 48256/13) concerned the publication, by decision of the domestic authorities, of medical data concerning prostitutes who had been diagnosed as HIV-positive, and media coverage of them. It also concerned the circumstances in which they were required to undergo a blood test.  In Chamber 's judgment(23.1.2024) in this case the European Court of Human Rights held, unanimously, that there had been two violations:  -A violation of Article 8 (right to respect for private life) of the European Convention on Human Rights, with regard to two applicants, on account of the blood tests they had been required to undertake.  The Court considered that the blood samples imposed on two applicants had amounted to an interference with their private life and noted that this had not been in accordance with the law within the meaning of Article 8 of the Convention, given that the provisions of domestic law in issue ought to h...
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European Commission asked to retain text messages sent by heads of state and government

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An inquiry by European Ombudswoman Anjinho has found maladministration for how the European Commission dealt with a request for public access to a text message sent by the French President to the President of the European Commission concerning the EU-Mercosur trade deal. In response to the access request, which came from a journalist, the Commission indicated that the message had been automatically deleted due to the ‘disappearing messages’ feature having been activated on the President’s phone. In examining how the Commission handled the matter following a complaint by the journalist, the Ombudswoman’s inquiry was unable to establish whether the text message was deleted before or after the public access request was submitted. It was also not possible to establish whether the Commission searched for the text when it received the request or if it only did so a year later when it replied to the request. The Ombudswoman noted that the fact that these relevant timelines coul...
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Fully-funded PhD position in AI, Law and Public Power

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Erasmus University Rotterdam School of Law, department Law & Markets, is looking for a fulltime PhD researcher in AI, Law and Public Power (4,5 years with 20% teaching tasks). PhD AI, Law and Public Power Are you curious about how artificial intelligence is changing state actor powers? Do you want to conduct critical and in-depth legal research at the intersection of technology, law and power? And would you like to combine that with academic teaching? Then this PhD position at Erasmus School of Law is for you. Within the Law & Markets team, you will spend 4.5 years researching the legal regulation of AI in the public sector. How do we protect fundamental rights when algorithms help decide on who receives public benefits, how to perform enforcement or how to enact environmental policy? What is the role of the state, and where is the limit of government power in a data-driven society? You will have plenty of space to choose your own research angle and work in a multidisci...
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Amendment of Articles of Association in Cyprus: Between Corporate Freedom and Abuse of Right – A Comparison with the Corresponding Regulation in Germany

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Giorgos Kazoleas, Lawyer in Cyprus The Articles of Association constitute the regulatory framework of a company, governing the internal relations between its members and management. Under Cyprus law, flexibility in adapting this document is vital, but it is not unchecked. The Amendment Process (Section 12 of the Companies Law, Cap. 113) Pursuant to Section 12 of the Companies Law (Cap. 113), a company may amend its articles of association by passing a Special Resolution, subject to compliance with the provisions of this Law and the conditions contained in the Company’s Memorandum of Association. The Company may amend specific articles or its articles of association in their entirety. For the amendment to be valid, a majority of at least 75% of the members present and voting at the General Meeting is required, and the prescribed notice must have been given (typically 21 days, unless otherwise provided for private companies). Subsequently, the company must submit the special reso...
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