62022TJ0237_INF
Judgment of the General Court (First Chamber) of 7 February 2024 –Usmanov v Council
(Case T‑237/22) (
1
)
(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 – Meaning of ‘supporting actions or policies which undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine’ – Article 2(1)(a) of Decision 2014/145/CFSP – Article 3(1)(a) 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)
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 – Not included
(Art. 275, second para., TFEU; Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/329)
(see paragraphs 26-30, 34)
2.
Action for annulment – Natural or legal persons – Acts 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)(a) and (d))
(see paragraphs 48-54)
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 68-73, 78)
5.
EU law – Principles – Rights of the defence – Right to effective judicial protection – Restrictive measures taken in view of the situation in Ukraine – Right to a prior formal hearing – None – Infringement of the right to be heard – None
(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 paragraph 76)
6.
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 – No new grounds – No new inculpatory evidence – Notification of inculpatory evidence – None – Infringement of the right to be heard – None
(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 83-91)
7.
Acts of the institutions – Statement of reasons – Obligation – Scope – Restrictive measures taken in view of the situation in Ukraine – Natural persons responsible for, supporting or implementing actions or policies which undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of 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 – Whether summary statement of reasons sufficient
(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 96-100, 105)
8.
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 on account of his supporting or implementing actions or policies compromising or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine – Publicly available documents – Admissibility
(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 117, 118, 127-129)
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 – Error of assessment – None
(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 131-133, 141, 152, 155)
10.
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 – Changes in the applicant’s situation – None
(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 156-158, 163-165, 167-170)
11.
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 – Breach of the principle of proportionality – None
(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 2022/571)
(see paragraphs 180-192)
12.
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 202-205)
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Dismisses the action;
2.
Orders Mr Alisher Usmanov to pay the costs, including those relating to the interim proceedings.
(
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)	OJ C 257, 4.7.2022.