62023TJ1106_INF
Judgment of the General Court (First Chamber) of 29 January 2025 –Vinokurov v Council
(Case T‑1106/23)
(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 – Maintenance of the applicant’s name on the list – Plea of illegality – Article 2(1)(g) of Decision 2014/145/CFSP – Concept of ‘businessperson involved in economic sectors providing a substantial source of revenue to the Government of the Russian Federation’ – Proportionality – Legal certainty – Error of assessment)
1.
Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures taken in view of the situation in Ukraine – Criteria for adopting restrictive measures – Leading businesspersons or legal persons, entities or bodies involved in economic sectors providing a substantial source of revenue to the Government of the Russian Federation and persons, entities or bodies associated with them – Compliance with the principle of legal certainty requiring clarity, precision and foreseeability of the effects of legal rules – Observance of the principle of proportionality
(Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2023/1094, Art. 2(1)(g); Council Regulations No 269/2014, Art. 3(1)(g), and 2023/1089)
(see paragraphs 44, 46, 51, 55-68, 133, 149)
2.
Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures taken in view of the situation in Ukraine – Criteria for adopting restrictive measures – Businesspersons, legal persons, entities or bodies involved in economic sectors providing a substantial source of revenue to the Government of the Russian Federation and persons associated with them – Concept of businessperson
(Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2023/1094, Art. 2(1)(g); Council Regulations No 269/2014, Art. 3(1)(g), and 2023/1089)
(see paragraphs 47, 48, 54, 97)
3.
Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures taken in view of the situation in Ukraine – Criteria for adopting restrictive measures – Businesspersons, legal persons, entities or bodies involved in economic sectors providing a substantial source of revenue to the Government of the Russian Federation and persons associated with them – Concept of substantial source of revenue – Significant and not negligible source of revenue
(Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2023/1094, Art. 2(1)(g); Council Regulations No 269/2014, Art. 3(1)(g), and 2023/1089)
(see paragraphs 49, 50)
4.
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 – Measures capable of being supported by some grounds and not others – Validity of those measures
(Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2023/1094, Art. 2(1)(g); Council Regulations No 269/2014, Art. 3(1)(g), and 2023/1089)
(see paragraph 73)
5.
Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures taken in view of the situation in Ukraine – Criteria for adopting restrictive measures – Businesspersons, legal persons, entities or bodies involved in economic sectors providing a substantial source of revenue to the Government of the Russian Federation and persons associated with them – Council’s obligation to carry out an updated assessment in the course of the review of the restrictive measures – Evidence to the contrary – Change in the specific situation of the person covered by the restrictive measures – None – Error of assessment – None
(Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2023/1767, Annex; Council Regulations No 269/2014, Annex I, and 2023/1765)
(see paragraphs 86, 98-100, 106-112, 120, 121)
6.
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
(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 47; Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2024/847; Council Regulations No 269/2014 and 2024/849)
(see paragraphs 87, 125-127)
7.
Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures taken in view of the situation in Ukraine – Prohibition on entry and transit and freezing of funds of certain persons and entities in view of the situation in Ukraine – Restriction of property rights and freedom of enterprise – Whether permissible – Conditions – Restriction laid down by law – Respect for the essence of the right invoked – Pursuit of an objective of general interest recognised as such by the European Union – Observance of the principle of proportionality – Conditions met
(Art. 21 TEU; Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Arts 16, 17 and 52(1); Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2023/1767 and (CFSP) 2024/847, Art. 2(3) and (4); Council Regulations No 269/2014, Arts 4 to 6, 2023/1765 and 2024/849)
(see paragraphs 135-145)
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Dismisses the action;
2.
Orders Mr Alexander Semenovich Vinokurov to pay the costs.