62022TJ0740_INF
Judgment of the General Court (First Chamber) of 26 June 2024 –Pumpyanskiy v Council
(Case T‑740/22) (
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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 – Maintaining the applicant’s name on the list – Concept of ‘leading businessperson’ – Article 2(1)(f) and (g) of Decision 2014/145/CFSP – Article 3(1)(f) and (g) of Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 – Error of assessment)
1.
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
(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 47; Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2022/1530, (CFSP) 2023/572 and (CFSP) 2023/1767; Council Regulations No 269/2014, 2022/1529, 2023/571 and 2023/1765)
(see paragraphs 44-49, 63, 64, 69)
2.
Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures taken in view of the situation in Ukraine – Criteria for adopting restrictive measures – Leading businesspersons involved in economic sectors providing a substantial source of revenue to the Government of the Russian Federation and persons associated with them – Concept
(Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2022/329, Art. 2(1)(g); Council Regulations No 269/2014 and 2022/330, Art. 3(1)(g))
(see paragraphs 54-57)
3.
Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures taken in view of the situation in Ukraine – Criteria for adopting restrictive measures – Leading businesspersons 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 – Error of assessment
(Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2022/1530 and (CFSP) 2023/572; Council Regulations No 269/2014, 2022/1529 and 2023/571)
(see paragraphs 66, 76, 80, 96-99, 105-110)
4.
Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures taken in view of the situation in Ukraine – Criteria for adopting restrictive measures – Persons providing material or financial support to Russian decision-makers or benefitting from those decision-makers – 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 – Error of assessment
(Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2022/1530, (CFSP) 2023/572 and (CFSP) 2023/1767; Council Regulations No 269/2014, 2022/1529, 2023/571 and 2023/1765)
(see paragraphs 84-87, 115, 116, 138, 139)
5.
Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures taken in view of the situation in Ukraine – Criteria for adopting restrictive measures – Leading businesspersons operating in Russia and their immediate family members, or other natural persons, benefitting from them – 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 associated with them – Error of assessment
(Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2023/1767; Council Regulations No 269/2014 and 2023/1765)
(see paragraphs 124, 131, 135)
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Annuls Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/1530 of 14 September 2022 amending Decision 2014/145/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1529 of 14 September 2022 implementing Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/572 of 13 March 2023 amending Decision 2014/145/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/571 of 13 March 2023 implementing Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/1767 of 13 September 2023 amending Decision 2014/145/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, and Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1765 of 13 September 2023 implementing Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, in so far as the name of Mr Dmitry Alexandrovich Pumpyanskiy was maintained on the list of persons, entities and bodies to which those restrictive measures apply;
2.
Orders the Council of the European Union to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by Mr Alexandrovich Pumpyanskiy.
(
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)	OJ C 24, 23.1.2023.