62024CJ0572_INF
Judgment of the Court (Ninth Chamber) of 5 February 2026 –VEB.RF v Council
(Case C‑572/24 P)
(Appeal – Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures taken in view of the situation in Ukraine – Freezing of funds – Prohibition on providing specialised financial messaging services to certain Russian credit institutions and their Russian subsidiaries – Decision 2014/145/CFSP – Article 2(1)(b) and (d) and Annex – Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 – Article 3(1)(b) and (d) and Annex I – Decision 2014/512/CFSP – Article 1e and Annex VIII – Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 – Article 5h and Annex XIV – Lists of persons, entities and bodies to which restrictive measures apply – Inclusion and maintenance of the applicant’s name on those lists – Obligation to state reasons – Right to property – Proportionality – Equal treatment – Right to effective judicial protection – Misuse of powers)
1.
Appeal – Grounds – Mere repetition of the pleas and arguments put forward before the General Court – Inadmissibility – Challenge to the interpretation or application of EU law made by the General Court – Admissibility
(Art. 256. TFEU; Statute of the Court of Justice, Art. 58, first para.; Rules of Procedure of the Court of Justice, Arts 168(1)(d) and 169)
(see paragraphs 35, 36)
2.
Acts of the institutions – Statement of reasons – Obligation – Scope – Restrictive measures adopted in view of the situation in Ukraine – Freezing of funds – Persons, entities or bodies materially or financially supporting actions which undermine or threaten 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 TFEU; Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2022/265, (CFSP) 2022/1530, (CFSP) 2023/572 and (CFSP) 2023/1767, Art. 2(1)(b); Council Regulations No 269/2014, Art. 3(1)(b), 2022/260, 2022/1529, 2023/571 and 2023/1765)
(see paragraphs 44-53, 73-77)
3.
Action for annulment – Pleas in law – Lack of or inadequate statement of reasons – Separate plea in law from the one concerning substantive legality
(Arts 263 and 296 TFEU)
(see paragraphs 55-59)
4.
Acts of the institutions – Preamble – Binding legal force – None – Preamble providing elements for the purposes of interpretation such as to clarify the reasons for the act’s adoption
(Council Decision 2014/512/CFSP, Art. 1e, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2022/346, recitals 4 and 5)
(see paragraphs 69-72)
5.
European Union – Judicial review of the legality of the acts of the institutions – Restrictive measures adopted 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 Decisions (CFSP) 2022/265, (CFSP) 2022/1530, (CFSP) 2023/572 and (CFSP) 2023/1767, Art. 2(1)(b) and (d); Council Regulations No 269/2014, Art. 3(1)(b) and (d), 2022/260, 2022/1529, 2023/571 and 2023/1765)
(see paragraphs 98, 110, 111)
6.
Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures adopted in view of the situation in Ukraine – Freezing of funds of certain persons and entities in view of the situation in Ukraine – Restriction of the right to property – 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
(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Arts 17 and 52(1); Council Decision 2014/512/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2022/346, (CFSP) 2022/1313, (CFSP) 2023/191 and (CFSP) 2023/1517, Art. 1e and Annex VIII; Council Regulations No 269/2014, Art. 5h and Annex XIV, 2022/345, 2022/1269, 2023/191 and 2023/1214)
(see paragraphs 133-139, 155-161)
7.
Appeal – Grounds – Grounds of a judgment vitiated by an infringement of EU law – Operative part well founded for other legal reasons – Substitution of grounds by the Court
(Art. 256(1), second subpara., TFEU; Statute of the Court of Justice, Art. 58, first para.)
(see paragraphs 154, 162)
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Dismisses the appeal;
2.
Orders State Development Corporation ‘VEB.RF’ to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by the Council of the European Union;
3.
Orders the European Commission to bear its own costs.