62021TJ0182_INF
Judgment of the General Court (Fourth Chamber) of 14 December 2022 –PKK v Council
(Case T‑182/21) (
1
)
(Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures imposed on the PKK with a view to combating terrorism – Freezing of funds – Common Position 2001/931/CFSP – Regulation (EC) No 2580/2001 – Applicability to situations of armed conflict – Terrorist group – Factual basis of the decisions to freeze funds – Decision taken by a competent authority – Authority of a third State – Review – Obligation to state reasons – Proportionality – Rights of the defence – Right to effective judicial protection)
1.
Common foreign and security policy – Specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities with a view to combating terrorism – Decision to freeze funds – Adoption or maintenance on the basis of a national decision to investigate, prosecute or convict – Competent authority to adopt that national decision – Meaning – Administrative authority – Included – Conditions
(Council Common Position 2001/931, Art. 1(4))
(see paragraphs 16, 17, 48-53, 56, 61, 67)
2.
Common foreign and security policy – Specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities with a view to combating terrorism – Decision to freeze funds – Adoption or maintenance on the basis of a national decision to investigate, prosecute or convict – Re-examination in order to justify retention on the fund-freezing list – Cooperation between the Council and competent authorities – Scope – Distinction between initial adoption and review of measures
(Council Common Position 2001/931, Art. 1(4))
(see paragraphs 19, 23)
3.
Common foreign and security policy – Specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities with a view to combating terrorism – Duty of sincere cooperation between Member States and the EU institutions – Initial decision to freeze funds – Justification – Burden of proof borne by the Council – Scope
(Council Common Position 2001/931, Art. 1(4))
(see paragraphs 20, 21, 121)
4.
Common foreign and security policy – Specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities with a view to combating terrorism – Decision to freeze funds – Adoption or retention on the basis of a national decision – No new material justifying retention being required to be the subject of a national decision taken after the decision on which the initial listing was based
(Council Common Position 2001/931, Art. 1(4) and (6))
(see paragraphs 22, 41, 135, 148)
5.
Common foreign and security policy – Specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities with a view to combating terrorism – Freezing of funds – Scope – Persons, groups and entities involved in terrorist acts – Meaning – Criterion for assessment – Question separate from that of the identification of the group – Infringement of the principle of legal certainty – None
(Council Common Position 2001/931, Art. 1(2); Council Regulation No 2580/2001, Art. 2(3)(i) and (ii))
(see paragraphs 29-34)
6.
Common foreign and security policy – Specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities with a view to combating terrorism – Decision to freeze funds – Adoption or maintenance on the basis of a national decision to investigate, prosecute or convict – No requirement that a national decision be taken in the context of criminal proceedings stricto sensu – Conditions
(Council Common Position 2001/931, Art. 1(4))
(see paragraphs 54, 55)
7.
Common foreign and security policy – Specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities with a view to combating terrorism – Duty of sincere cooperation between Member States and the EU institutions – Decision to freeze funds – Adoption or maintenance on the basis of a national decision to investigate, prosecute or convict – National decision to convict – No obligation to adduce the serious and credible evidence or clues underlying the national decision
(Council Common Position 2001/931, Art. 1(4); Council Decisions (CFSP) 2021/142, (CFSP) 2021/1192 and (CFSP) 2022/152; Council Regulations 2021/138, 2021/1188 and 2022/147)
(see paragraphs 72-80)
8.
Common foreign and security policy – Specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities with a view to combating terrorism – Decision to freeze funds – Adoption or retention on the basis of a national decision – Competent authority to adopt that national decision – Meaning – Authority of a non-member State – Included
(Council Common Position 2001/931, Art. 1(4); Council Decisions (CFSP) 2021/142, (CFSP) 2021/1192 and (CFSP) 2022/152; Council Regulations 2021/138, 2021/1188 and 2022/147)
(see paragraphs 83, 84)
9.
Common foreign and security policy – Specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities with a view to combating terrorism – Decision to freeze funds – Adoption or maintenance on the basis of a national fund-freezing decision of an authority of a third State – Whether permissible – Condition – National decision adopted in accordance with the rights of the defence and the right to effective judicial protection – Council’s verification obligation – Obligation to state reasons – Scope
(Council Common Position 2001/931, Art. 1(4); Council Decisions (CFSP) 2021/142, (CFSP) 2021/1192 and (CFSP) 2022/152; Council Regulations 2021/138, 2021/1188 and 2022/147)
(see paragraphs 85, 86, 89, 91-95)
10.
Common foreign and security policy – Specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities with a view to combating terrorism – Freezing of funds – Scope – Persons, groups and entities involved in terrorist acts – Initial listing – Acts of terrorism – Meaning – Classification by national authorities – Council’s obligation to verify
(Council Common Position 2001/931, Art. 1(3), (4) and (6))
(see paragraphs 98-103, 123-130)
11.
Common foreign and security policy – Specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities with a view to combating terrorism – Freezing of funds – Common Position 2001/931 – Scope – Armed conflict within the meaning of international humanitarian law – Included
(Council Common Position 2001/931, Art. 1(3), first subpara.; Council Regulation No 2580/2001; Council Framework Decision 2002/475)
(see paragraphs 106-108, 111-116, 118)
12.
Common foreign and security policy – Specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities with a view to combating terrorism – Freezing of funds – Scope – Principle of self-determination – Distinction between the objectives specific to the exercise of the right to self-determination and the behaviour adopted to achieve them – Council’s margin of discretion
(Council Common Position 2001/931, Art. 1(3), first subpara., (i) to (iii))
(see paragraphs 109, 110, 115, 117)
13.
Common foreign and security policy – Specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities with a view to combating terrorism – Decision to freeze funds – Precautionary nature of the measures adopted – Principle that offences and penalties must be defined by law – Applicability – None
(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 49(1); Council Common Position 2001/931)
(see paragraph 120)
14.
Common foreign and security policy – Specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities with a view to combating terrorism – Decision to freeze funds – Retention on the basis of a national decision – National decision no longer by itself supporting the conclusion that there is an ongoing risk of involvement in acts of terrorism – Obligation of the Council to take into account more recent facts which demonstrate that that risk is ongoing
(Council Common Position 2001/931, Art. 1(6); Council Decisions (CFSP) 2021/142, (CFSP) 2021/1192 and (CFSP) 2022/152; Council Regulations 2021/138, 2021/1188 and 2022/147)
(see paragraphs 131-134, 142-144, 146, 147, 149, 152, 156, 157, 163, 214, operative part 1)
15.
European Union – Judicial review of the legality of the acts of the institutions – Specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities with a view to combating terrorism – Decision to freeze funds – Continued listing on the basis of a national decision adopted by a competent authority – Scope of the review – Review extending to all of the material used to demonstrate that the risk of involvement in acts of terrorism is ongoing – Not all of the material being derived from a national decision adopted by a competent authority – Irrelevant
(Council Common Position 2001/931, Art. 1(6))
(see paragraph 137)
16.
Common foreign and security policy – Specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities with a view to combating terrorism – Freezing of the funds of an organisation involved in acts of terrorism – Restrictions on the right to property, freedom of expression and the right of assembly – No breach of principle of proportionality
(Council Common Position 2001/931; Council Decisions (CFSP) 2021/142, (CFSP) 2021/1192 and (CFSP) 2022/152; Council Regulations 2021/138, 2021/1188 and 2022/147)
(see paragraphs 165-170, 173)
17.
EU law – Principles – Rights of the defence – Right to effective judicial protection – Specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities with a view to combating terrorism – Decision to freeze funds – Right of access to documents – Right subject to request for access being made to the Council – No infringement
(Council Common Position 2001/931; Council Regulation No 2580/2001)
(see paragraph 198)
18.
EU law – Principles – Rights of the defence – Right to effective judicial protection – Specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities with a view to combating terrorism – Decision to freeze funds – Obligation to disclose incriminating evidence – Scope
(Council Common Position 2001/931, Art. 1(4); Council Decisions (CFSP) 2021/142, (CFSP) 2021/1192 and (CFSP) 2022/152; Council Regulations No 2580/2001, Art. 2(3), 2021/138, 2021/1188 and 2022/147)
(see paragraphs 200-203)
19.
Action for annulment – Judgment annulling a measure – Effects – Obligation to implement – Scope – Obligation to ensure that the annulled measure is not replaced by a measure affected by the same irregularity – Extension of that obligation to subsequent measures
(Art. 266 TFEU; Statute of the Court of Justice, Art. 60, second para.)
(see paragraphs 207-209)
20.
Judicial proceedings – Costs – Costs caused unreasonably or vexatiously – Consequences of the Council’s failure to comply with its obligation to draw the consequences of the illegalities found by a judgment ordering annulment – Order requiring each party to bear its own costs
(Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Arts 134(1) and 135(2))
(see paragraphs 212, 215-218)
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Dismisses the action;
2.
Orders each party to bear its own costs.
(
1
)	OJ C 217, 7.6.2021.