Information;Judgment — ECLI:EU:T:2025:908
Date: 2025-09-24
Language of the case: English
Court formation: Fifth Chamber
Procedure: Action for annulment - unfounded;Action for annulment - inadmissible

summary statement of reasons sufficient (Art. 296 TFEU; Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2024/1510, Annex; Council Regulations No 36/2012, Annex, and 2024/1517) (see paragraphs 38-43, 52-58) 4. Common foreign and security policy – Specific restrictive measures against certain persons and entities in view of the situation in Syria – Decision 2013/255/CFSP and Regulation No 36/2012 – Criteria for adopting restrictive measures – Support provided to and benefit derived from the Syrian regime – Meaning – Consequences for the statement of reasons for listing (Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2015/1836 and (CFSP) 2024/1510, Art. 28(1); Council Regulations No 36/2012, Art. 15(1)(a), 2015/1828 and 2024/1517) (see paragraphs 46-50) 5. European Union – Judicial review of the legality of the acts of the institutions – Restrictive measures against Syria – Scope of the review – Proof that the measure is well founded – Obligation on the competent EU authority to establish, in the event of challenge, that the reasons relied on against the persons or entities concerned are well founded – Breadth of the discretion of that competent authority (Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 47; Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2024/1510; Council Regulations No 36/2012 and 2024/1517) (see paragraphs 67-72) 6. Common foreign and security policy – Specific restrictive measures against certain persons and entities in view of the situation in Syria – Decision 2013/255/CFSP and Regulation No 36/2012 – Criteria for adopting restrictive measures – Association with the Syrian regime – Association with a person or entity subject to restrictive measures – Meanings – Cases of multiple simultaneous connecting factors (Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2015/1836 and (CFSP) 2024/1510, Art. 28(1); Council Regulations No 36/2012, Art. 15(1)(a), 2015/1828 and 2024/1517) (see paragraphs 74, 75) 7. European Union – Judicial review of the legality of the acts of the institutions – Restrictive measures against Syria – Scope of the review – Inclusion of the applicant on the list annexed to the contested decision on account of his association with the Syrian regime – Association with a person or entity subject to restrictive measures – Documents available to the public – Probative value – Principle of the unfettered evaluation of evidence (Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2024/1510; Council Regulations No 36/2012 and 2024/1517) (see paragraphs 77-83) 8. Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures against Syria – Freezing of funds and economic resources – Action for annulment brought by a person associated with a person or entity subject to a decision to freeze funds – Allocation of the burden of proof – Decision based on a set of indicia – Whether permissible – Error of assessment – None (Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2015/1836 and (CFSP) 2024/1510, Art. 28(1); Council Regulations No. 36/2012, Art. 15(1)(a), 2015/1828 and 2024/1517) (see paragraphs 86-95) 9. Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures against Syria – Freezing of funds of persons, entities or bodies associated with the Syrian regime – Restriction of the right to property – Restriction on the freedom to conduct a business – Whether permissible – Conditions – Restriction laid down by law – Respect for the essence of the right invoked – Pursuit of an objective of general interest recognised as such by the European Union – Observance of the principle of proportionality – Conditions met (Arts 5(4) and 29 TEU; Art. 215 TFEU; Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Arts 16, 17 and 52(1); Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2024/1510, Arts 28(1) and (6) and 34; Council Regulations No 36/2012, Arts 15(1)(a), 16 and 32(4), and 2024/1517) (see paragraphs 105-117) 10. Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures against Syria – Prohibition to provide insurance and reinsurance services to the Syrian Government and entities related to the Government of Syria – Exception – Scope ratione personae – EU Member States and financial institutions present in their territory or under their jurisdiction (Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2015/1836 and (CFSP) 2024/1510 Arts 19, 23 and 24(2)) (see paragraph 119) 11. EU law – Principles – Rights of the defence – Right to be heard – Obligation on the institutions to adhere to the point of view of the parties concerned –None – Obligation to reply to all the arguments of the parties – None (Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 41) (see paragraphs 125-127) Operative part The Court: 1. Dismisses the action; 2. Orders Al-Aqeelah Takaful Insurance Company to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by the Council of the European Union.