62020TJ0218_INF
Judgment of the General Court (Fourth Chamber) of 10 November 2021 –Alkattan v Council
(Case T‑218/20)
(Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures adopted against Syria – Freezing of funds – Obligation to state reasons – Rights of the defence – Right to a fair trial – Error of assessment – Determination of listing criteria)
1.
Acts of the institutions – Statement of reasons – Obligation – Scope – Restrictive measures against Syria – Prohibition on entry on transit and freezing of funds of influential businesspersons operating in Syria – 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 – Whether summary statement of reasons sufficient
(Art. 296 TFEU; Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2015/1836, (CFSP) 2020/212, (CFSP) 2020/719 and (CFSP) 2021/855, Annex I; Council Regulations No 36/2012, No 2020/211, No 2020/716 and No 2021/848, Annex II)
(see paras 38-43, 50-52)
2.
Common foreign and security policy – Specific restrictive measures against certain persons and bodies in view of the situation in Syria – Decision 2013/255/CFSP and Regulation No 36/2012 – Criteria for adopting restrictive measures – Leading businesspersons operating in Syria – Association with the Syrian regime – Meaning
(Art. 29 TEU; Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2015/1836, (CFSP) 2020/212, (CFSP) 2020/719, (CFSP) 2021/855, Arts 27(1), (2)(a) and (3) and 28(1), (2)(a) and (3); Council Regulation No 36/2012, as amended by Regulations No 2015/1828, No 2020/211, No 2020/716 and No 2021/848, Arts 15(1)(a), 1a(a) and 1b)
(see paras 48, 49, 98-102, 145)
3.
EU law – Principles – Rights of the defence – Right to effective judicial protection – Restrictive measures against Syria – Freezing of funds of persons, entities or bodies associated with the Syrian regime – Obligation to disclose individual and specific grounds for the decisions adopted – Scope – Notification of the person concerned by means of a publication in the Official Journal – Whether permissible – No infringement of the right to be heard
(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Arts 41(2)(a) and 52(1); Council Decision (CFSP) 2020/212; Council Regulation 2020/211)
(see paras 57-59, 61, 64-69)
4.
Common foreign and security policy – Specific restrictive measures against Syria – Freezing of funds of persons, entities or bodies associated with the Syrian regime – Rights of the defence – Subsequent decision maintaining the name of the applicant on the list of persons covered by those measures – No new grounds – Obligation for the Council to notify the person concerned of the new elements taken into account when periodically renewing restrictive measures – No infringement of the right to be heard
(Council Decisions (CFSP) 2020/719 and (CFSP) 2021/855; Council Regulations No 2020/716 and No 2021/848)
(see paras 73-75, 77, 78)
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 a challenge, that the grounds held against the persons or entities concerned are well founded
(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 47; Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2015/1836, (CFSP) 2020/212, (CFSP) 2020/719 and (CFSP) 2021/855, Annex I; Council Regulations No 36/2012, No 2020/211, No 2020/716 and No 2021/848, Annex II)
(see paras 80-86)
6.
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’s name on the list annexed to the contested decision by virtue of his status as a leading businessman operating in Syria and his association with the Syrian regime – Documents available to the public – Probative value
(Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2015/1836, (CFSP) 2020/212, (CFSP) 2020/719 and (CFSP) 2021/855, Annex I; Council Regulations No 36/2012, No 2020/211, No 2020/716 and No 2021/848, Annex II)
(see paras 112, 117, 121)
7.
Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures against Syria – Freezing of funds and economic resources – Action for annulment by a leading businessman operating in Syria against a freezing order – Allocation of the burden of proof – Decision based on a series of indicators – Probative value – Scope
(Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2015/1836, (CFSP) 2020/212, (CFSP) 2020/719 and (CFSP) 2021/855, Annex I; Council Regulations No 36/2012, No 2020/211, No 2020/716 and No 2021/848, Annex II)
(see paras 122-124, 126, 129, 135, 140, 142, 143)
8.
Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures against Syria – Freezing of funds and economic resources – Action for annulment by a person associated with the Syrian regime against a freezing order – Allocation of the burden of proof – Decision based on a series of indicators – Probative value – Scope
(Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2015/1836, (CFSP) 2020/212, (CFSP) 2020/719 and (CFSP) 2021/855, Annex I; Council Regulations No 36/2012, No 2020/211, No 2020/716 and No 2021/848, Annex II)
(see paras 149, 151, 155, 162, 168)
9.
European Union – Judicial review of the legality of the acts of the institutions – Restrictive measures against Syria – Scope of the review – Assessment of the legality by reference to the information available at the time of adoption of the decision
(Art. 263 TFEU; Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2015/1836, (CFSP) 2020/212, (CFSP) 2020/719 and (CFSP) 2021/855, Annex I; Council Regulations No 36/2012, No 2020/211, No 2020/716 and No 2021/848, Annex II)
(see para. 164)
10.
Common foreign and security policy – Jurisdiction of the EU judicature – Actions for damages – Action for compensation for damage suffered as a result of the applicant’s inclusion on a list of persons subject to restrictive measures and the implementation of those measures – Included
(Art. 340 TFEU; Council Decisions (CFSP) 2015/1836, (CFSP) 2020/212, (CFSP) 2020/719 and (CFSP) 2021/855; Council Regulations No 2020/211, No 2020/716 and No 2021/848)
(see para. 172)
Re:
First, application under Article 263 TFEU seeking annulment of Council Implementing Decision (CFSP) 2020/212 of 17 February 2020 implementing Decision 2013/255/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Syria (OJ 2020 L 431, p. 6), Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/211 of 17 February 2020 implementing Regulation (EU) No 36/2012 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria (OJ 2020 L 431, p. 1), Council Decision (CFSP) 2020/719 of 28 May 2020 amending Decision 2013/255/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Syria (OJ 2020 L 168, p. 66), Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/716 of 28 May 2020 implementing Regulation (EU) No 36/2012 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria (OJ 2020 L 168, p. 1), Council Decision (CFSP) 2021/855 of 27 May 2021 amending Decision 2013/255/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Syria (OJ 2021 L 188, p. 90), and Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/848 of 27 May 2021 implementing Regulation (EU) No 36/2012 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria (OJ 2021 L 188, p. 18), in so far as those measures concern the applicant, and, secondly, application under Article 268 TFEU seeking compensation in respect of the harm suffered by the applicant as a result of those measures.
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Dismisses the action;
2.
Orders Mr Waseem Alkattan to pay the costs.