62022TJ0234_INF
Judgment of the General Court (First Chamber) of 8 May 2024 –Ismailova v Council
(Case T‑234/22) (
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(Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures taken in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine – Freezing of funds – List of persons, entities and bodies subject to the freezing of funds and economic resources – Restrictions on entry into the territories of the Member States – List of persons, entities and bodies subject to restrictions on entry into the territories of the Member States – Inclusion and maintenance of the applicant’s name on the lists – Concept of ‘association’ – Article 2(1), in fine, of Decision 2014/145/CFSP – Article 3(1), in fine, of Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 – Jurisdiction of the General Court – Obligation to state reasons – Error of assessment – Rights of the defence – Right to property and freedom to conduct a business – Freedom of movement – Proportionality)
1.
Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures taken in view of the situation in Ukraine – Decision to freeze funds – Judicial review of legality – Scope – Provision of general application – Precluded
(Art. 275, second para., TFEU; Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/329)
(see paragraphs 28-31, 35)
2.
Action for annulment – Natural or legal persons – Acts that are of direct and individual concern to them – Council regulations adopted in the context of the common foreign and security policy and providing for restrictive measures in view of the situation in Ukraine – Person concerned not affected directly and individually – Inadmissibility
(Art. 263, fourth para., TFEU; Council Regulations No 269/2014 and 2022/330, Art. 3(1)(f) and (g))
(see paragraphs 49-56)
3.
EU law – Principles – Rights of the defence – Right to effective judicial protection – Restrictive measures – Obligation to disclose individual and specific grounds for the decisions adopted – Right to be heard prior to the adoption of such measures – Limitations – Conditions
(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 41(2)(a))
(see paragraphs 61-65)
4.
EU law – Principles – Rights of the defence – Right to effective judicial protection – Restrictive measures against Ukraine – Obligation to disclose individual and specific grounds for the decisions adopted – Scope – Notification to the person concerned through publication in the Official Journal – Whether permissible – Conditions – Council not able to effect notification
(Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2022/337 and (CFSP) 2023/572, Art. 3(2); Council Regulations No 269/2014, 2022/336 and 2023/571)
(see paragraphs 68, 69, 71)
5.
Action for annulment – Time limits – Point from which time starts to run – Measure entailing restrictive measures against a person or body – Measure published and notified to the addressees – Address of the person concerned known at the time the measure was adopted – Time limit starting to run as from the date of individual communication
(Arts 263, fourth and sixth paras, and 275, second para., TFEU; Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP; as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2022/337 and (CFSP) 2023/572; Council Regulations No 269/2014, 2022/336 and 2023/571)
(see paragraphs 70, 73)
6.
EU law – Principles – Rights of the defence – Restrictive measures taken against certain persons and entities in view of the situation in Ukraine – Freezing of funds – Right of access to documents – Rights subject to an application in that behalf before the Council
(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 41(2)(a); Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2022/337 and (CFSP) 2023/572, Art. 3(2); Council Regulations No 269/2014, 2022/336 and 2023/571)
(see paragraph 76)
7.
Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures taken in view of the situation in Ukraine – Freezing of the funds of leading businesspersons involved in economic sectors providing a substantial source of revenue to the Government of the Russian Federation and persons associated with them – Rights of the defence – 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 – No infringement of the right to be heard
(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 41(2)(a); Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2022/337 and (CFSP) 2023/572; Council Regulations No 269/2014, 2022/336 and 2023/571)
(see paragraphs 83-93)
8.
Acts of the institutions – Statement of reasons – Obligation – Scope – Restrictive measures taken in view of the situation in Ukraine – Freezing of funds of certain persons and entities having regard to the situation in Ukraine – Obligation to identify in the statement of reasons the specific and concrete elements justifying the said measure – Decision falling within a context known to the person concerned, enabling him or her to understand the scope of the measure taken against him or her
(Art. 296, second para., TFEU; Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2022/337 and (CFSP) 2023/572; Council Regulations No 269/2014, 2022/336 and 2023/571)
(see paragraphs 95-99, 111, 116, 118-119)
9.
European Union – Judicial review of the legality of the acts of the institutions – Restrictive measures taken in view of the situation in Ukraine – 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 – Inclusion on the lists based on a specific, precise and consistent set of indicia – No error of assessment
(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 47; Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2022/337 and (CFSP) 2023/572; Council Regulations No 269/2014, 2022/336 and 2023/571)
(see paragraphs 120-123, 152, 180)
10.
Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures taken in view of the situation in Ukraine – Criteria for adopting restrictive measures – Persons responsible for, supporting or implementing actions or policies which undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty or independence of Ukraine, and natural or legal persons, entities or bodies associated with them – Persons providing material or financial support to Russian decision-makers or benefitting from them and persons associated with them – Concept of association – Common interests
(Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2022/337 and (CFSP) 2023/572, Art. 2(1)(a) and (d); Council Regulations No 269/2014, 2022/336 and 2023/571, Art. 3(1)(a), (d))
(see paragraphs 134, 143-146)
11.
European Union – Judicial review of the legality of the acts of the institutions – Restrictive measures taken in view of the situation in Ukraine – Scope of the review – Inclusion of the applicant on the list annexed to the contested decision due to his or her association with a person providing material or financial support to Russian decision-makers or benefitting from them and supporting actions or policies which undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty or independence of Ukraine – Publicly available documents – Probative value
(Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2022/337 and (CFSP) 2023/572; Council Regulations No 269/2014, 2022/336 and 2023/571)
(see paragraphs 157, 159-160)
12.
European Union – Judicial review of the legality of the acts of the institutions – Restrictive measures taken in view of the situation in Ukraine – 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 – Relevance of evidence produced on the basis of a previous inclusion where there are no amendments to the grounds for inclusion or changes in the applicant’s situation or in the context in Ukraine – No changes in the applicant’s situation
(Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2022/337 and (CFSP) 2023/572; Council Regulations No 269/2014, 2022/336 and 2023/571)
(see paragraphs 163-164, 177-179)
13.
Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures taken in view of the situation in Ukraine – Freezing of funds of certain persons and entities having regard to the situation in Ukraine – Restriction of property rights and freedom of enterprise – No breach of the principle of proportionality
(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Arts 16 and 17; Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2022/337 and (CFSP) 2023/572; Council Regulations No 269/2014, 2022/336 and 2023/571)
(see paragraphs 185-197)
14.
Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures taken in view of the situation in Ukraine – Freezing of funds of certain persons and entities having regard to the situation in Ukraine – Judicial review of legality – Principle of proportionality – Appropriateness of the restrictive measures – Restrictive measures pursuing a legitimate aim of the common foreign and security policy
(Art. 21 TEU; Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2022/337 and (CFSP) 2023/572; Council Regulations No 269/2014, 2022/336 and 2023/571)
(see paragraphs 206-212)
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Dismisses the action;
2.
Orders Ms Gulbakhor Ismailova to pay the costs, including those relating to the interim proceedings.
(
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)	OJ C 237, 20.6.2022.