62018TJ0165_INF
Judgment of the General Court (Ninth Chamber, Extended Composition) of 12 February 2020 –Kahimbi Kasagwe v Council
(Case T‑165/18)
(Common foreign and security policy — Restrictive measures taken in view of the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo — Freezing of funds — Renewal of the listing of the applicant’s name on the list of persons concerned — Obligation to state reasons — Rights of the defence — Obligation for the Council to communicate the new elements justifying the renewal of the restrictive measures — Error of law — Manifest error of assessment — Right to property — Right to respect for private and family life — Proportionality — Presumption of innocence — Plea of illegality)
1.
Acts of the institutions — Statement of reasons — Obligation — Scope — 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 — Minimum requirements
(Art. 296 TFEU; Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2017/2282, Annex II)
(see paras 32, 34-36)
2.
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 — Obligation to identify in the statement of reasons individual and specific reasons justifying such measures — Decision falling within a context known to the person concerned, enabling him to understand the scope of the measure taken against him
(Art. 296 TFEU; Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2017/2282, Annex II)
(see paras 33, 41-45)
3.
EU law — Principles — Rights of 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 point of view on the grounds held against him — Scope
(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 41(2)(a); Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2017/2282, Annex II)
(see paras 49, 50, 52)
4.
Common foreign and security policy — Restrictive measures directed against the Democratic Republic of the Congo — Freezing of funds — Rights of defence — Subsequent decision maintaining the name of the applicant on the list of persons covered by those measures — No new grounds — Council’s obligation to communicate to the person concerned the new evidence taken into account when periodically re-examining the restrictive measures — No communication of the new evidence to the person concerned so that he or she can submit his or her obligations — Infringement of the rights of the defence
(Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2017/2282, Art. 9(2) and Annex II)
(see paras 54-61, 64, 67)
5.
EU law — Principles — Rights of defence — Restrictive measures directed against the Democratic Republic of the Congo — Obligation of the institutions to communicate to the person concerned the new evidence taken into account when periodically re-examining the restrictive measures — Scope — Unlawfulness of the act depending on proving the procedural relevance of the infringement of that obligation — No relevance in the present case
(Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2017/2282, Annex II)
(see paras 68-71, 73, 76)
6.
Common foreign and security policy — Restrictive measures directed against the Democratic Republic of the Congo — Scope — Persons obstructing a consensual and peaceful solution towards elections, including by acts of violence, repression or inciting violence, or by undermining the rule of law — Concept — Persons who have committed those acts in the past despite there being no evidence proving current involvement or participation in such acts — Included — Interpretation borne out by the possibility of extending restrictive measures — Effectiveness
(Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2016/2231 and (CFSP) 2017/2282, Arts 3(2)(a) and 9(2))
(see paras 81-84, 86)
7.
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 annexed to the contested decision on the basis of his duties — Documents accessible by the public showing actions undermining the rule of law — Probative value — Principle of the unfettered assessment of the evidence
(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 47; Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2017/2282, Annex II)
(see paras 93-95, 97, 101, 110)
8.
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 — No error of assessment
(Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2016/2231 and (CFSP) 2017/2282, Annex II)
(see paras 115-118)
9.
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 — Restrictions on the right to property — No breach of principle of proportionality
(Arts 3(5), 21(2)(b) and (c), 29 TEU and Art. 215(2) TFEU; Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Arts 17(1) and 52(1); Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2016/2231 and (CFSP) 2017/2282, Art. 5(1))
(see paras 123-136)
10.
Common foreign and security policy — Restrictive measures directed against the Democratic Republic of the Congo — Entry and transit bans on and freezing of funds of persons undermining the rule of law or contributing to the commission of acts that constitute serious human rights violations — No restriction of the right to respect for private life and free movement within the Union — Breach of principle of proportionality
(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 7; Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2017/2282)
(see paras 137, 138)
11.
EU law — Principles — Fundamental rights — Presumption of innocence — Decision freezing the funds of certain persons and entities in the light of the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo — Compatibility with that principle — Conditions
(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 48(1); Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2017/2282, Arts 5(1) and 9)
(see paras 139-145)
12.
Plea of illegality — Scope — Measures the illegality of which may be pleaded — General measure providing the basis of the contested decision — No need for a legal connection between the contested measure and the contested general measure — Inadmissibility
(Art. 277 TFEU; Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, Art. 3(2)(a); Council Regulation No 1183/2005, Art. 2b, (1)(a))
(see paras 149, 150)
13.
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 — Criteria for adopting restrictive measures — Impediment to a consensual and peaceful solution towards elections, including by acts of violence, repression or inciting violence, or by undermining the rule of law — Scope — Compliance with the principle of legal certainty requiring clarity, precision and foreseeability of the effects of legal rules
(Arts 3(5) and 21(2)(b) and (c) TEU; Art. 275, second para. TFEU; Council Decisions 2010/788/CFSP, Art. 3(2)(a) and (CFSP) 2016/2231, Recitals 3 and 4; Council Regulation No 1183/2005)
(see paras 151-161)
Re:
Application based on Article 263 TFEU seeking annulment of Council Decision (CFSP) 2017/2282 of 11 December 2017 amending Decision 2010/788/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against the Democratic Republic of the Congo (OJ 2017 L 328, p. 19), in so far as it concerns the applicant.
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Dismisses the action;
2.
Orders Mr Delphin Kahimbi Kasagwe to pay the costs.