62021TJ0120_INF
Judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 27 April 2022 –Ruhorimbere v Council
(Case T‑120/21) (
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(Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures taken in view of the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Freezing of funds – Restriction on admission to the territories of the Member States – Retention of the applicant’s name on the lists of persons covered – Right to be heard – Proof that inclusion and retention on the lists is well founded – Manifest error of assessment – Continuation of the factual and legal circumstances which led to the adoption of the restrictive measures)
1.
EU law – Principles – Rights of the defence – Right to effective judicial protection – Restrictive measures directed against the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Freezing of funds of persons undermining the rule of law or contributing to the commission of acts that constitute serious human rights violations – Obligation to disclose individual and specific grounds for the decisions adopted – Obligation to enable the person concerned effectively to put forward his or her point of view regarding the reasons relied on against him or her – Scope
(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 41(2)(a); Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2020/2033, Annex II; Council Regulations No 1183/2005 and 2020/2021, Annex)
(see paras 51-53)
2.
Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures directed against the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Freezing of funds – Rights of the defence – Notification of inculpatory evidence – Subsequent decision maintaining the name of the applicant on the list of persons covered by those measures – Disclosure by the Council to the person concerned of new evidence taken into account during the periodic review of the restrictive measures – Infringement of the right to be heard – None
(Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2020/2033, Arts 7(2) and (3) and 9(2), Annex II; Council Regulations No 1183/2005, Art. 9(3), and 2020/2021, Annex)
(see paras 54, 55, 59-69, 76)
3.
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
(see para. 73)
4.
European Union – Judicial review of the legality of the acts of the institutions – Restrictive measures directed against the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Scope of the review – Restricted review for general rules – Review extending to the assessment of the facts and verification of the evidence
(Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2020/2033, Art. 3(2)(b) and Annex II; Council Regulations No 1183/2005, Art. 2b(1)(b), and 2020/2021, Annex)
(see paras 83, 84, 88, 91, 93, 100, 101, 106)
5.
European Union – Judicial review of the legality of the acts of the institutions – Restrictive measures directed against the Democratic Republic of the Congo – 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
(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 47; Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2020/2033, Annex II; Council Regulations No 1183/2005 and 2020/2021, Annex)
(see paras 114-117)
6.
Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures directed against the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Freezing of funds of persons undermining the rule of law or contributing to the commission of acts that constitute serious human rights violations – Criteria – Roles conferring responsibility for the repression of the civil population or compliance with the rule of law – Error of assessment – None
(Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2016/2231 and (CFSP) 2020/2033, Art. 3(2)(b) and Annex II; Council Regulations No 1183/2005, Art. 2b(1)(b), and 2020/2021, Annex)
(see paras 118, 124-129, 131-134)
7.
Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures directed against the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Scope – Persons who have been involved in planning, directing, or committing acts that constitute serious human rights violations or abuses – Definition – Persons who have committed those acts in the past, notwithstanding the lack of evidence establishing current involvement or participation in such acts – Included
(Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2016/2231 and (CFSP) 2020/2033, Art. 3(2)(b) and Annex II; Council Regulations No 1183/2005, Art. 2b(1)(b), and 2020/2021, Annex)
(see paras 119, 120, 122)
8.
European Union – Judicial review of the legality of the acts of the institutions – Restrictive measures directed against the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Scope of the review – Inclusion of the applicant on the list of persons covered by those measures by reason of his or her office – Documents publicly available establishing serious human rights violations or actions undermining the rule of law – Probative value
(Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2020/2033, Annex II; Council Regulations No 1183/2005 and 2020/2021, Annex)
(see para. 130)
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Dismisses the action;
2.
Orders Mr Éric Ruhorimbere to pay the costs.
(
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)	OJ C 128, 12.4.2021.