EU law does not require the disclosure of information relating to all shareholders of public limited liability companies, including minority shareholders

EU law does not require the disclosure of information relating to all shareholders of public limited liability companies, including minority shareholders

EU law does not require the disclosure of information relating to all shareholders of public limited liability companies, including minority shareholders

In a recent judgement of the European Court of Justice (CJEU), the court stated that EU law does not require the disclosure of information relating to all shareholders of public limited liability companies, including minority shareholders.

Furthermore, EU law precludes the online disclosure of personal data relating to such shareholders where access to those data is not subject to any conditions, such as demonstrating a legitimate interest, even if such disclosure pursues an objective of general interest recognised by the European Union.

A constitutional complaint has been brought before the Constitutional Court of Latvia by 17 minority shareholders of a public limited liability company who are challenging the compatibility with the right to respect for privacy and the protection of personal data, guaranteed by the Latvian Constitution, of a provision of national law requiring that information relating to the shareholders of public limited liability companies be made available to the public.