62021TJ0479_INF
Judgment of the General Court (Fourth Chamber) of 22 June 2022 –Haswani v Council
(Case T‑479/21) (
1
)
(Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures adopted against Syria – Freezing of funds – Res judicata – Error of assessment – Proportionality – Obligation to state reasons – Rights of the defence – Right to a fair trial)
1.
Judicial proceedings – Application initiating proceedings – Defence – Formal requirements – Identification of the subject matter of the dispute – Brief statement of the pleas in law on which the application is based – Pleas in law not set out in statement – Reference to a previous judgment of the General Court – Inadmissibility
(Statute of the Court of Justice, Arts 21 and 53, first para.; Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Arts 76(d) and 81(1)(c))
(see paragraph 44)
2.
Acts of the institutions – Statement of reasons – Obligation – Scope – Restrictive measures against Syria – Prohibition on entry and transit as well as freezing of funds of leading 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 and (CFSP) 2021/855, Arts 27(2)(a) and 28(2)(a), and Annex I; Council Regulations No 36/2012 and 2021/848, Annex II)
(see paragraphs 59-64, 70-73)
3.
Common foreign and security policy – Specific restrictive measures against certain persons and entities 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 – Concept
(Art. 29 TEU; Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2015/1836 and (CFSP) 2021/855, Arts 27(2)(a) and (3), as well as 28(2)(a); Council Regulations No 36/2012, Art. 15(1a)(a) and (1b), and 2015/1828)
(see paragraphs 67-69, 102)
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 – Notification of inculpatory evidence – Subsequent decision maintaining the name of the applicant on the list of persons covered by those measures – No new grounds – Infringement of the right to be heard – None
(Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2015/1836 and (CFSP) 2021/855, Annex I; Council Regulations No 36/2012 and 2021/848, Annex II)
(see paragraphs 83-87)
5.
EU law – Principles – Rights of the defence – Restrictive measures adopted against Syria – Right to a prior formal hearing – None
(Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2015/1836 and (CFSP) 2021/855, Annex I; Council Regulations No 36/2012 and 2021/848, Annex II)
(see paragraph 89)
6.
Common foreign and security policy – Specific restrictive measures against Syria – Freezing of funds of persons, entities or bodies associated with the Syrian regime – Nature of those measures – No criminal character
(Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2015/1836 and (CFSP) 2021/855, Annex I; Council Regulations No 36/2012 and 2021/848, Annex II)
(see paragraph 90)
7.
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 challenge, that the reasons relied on 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 and (CFSP) 2021/855, Annex I; Council Regulations No 36/2012 and 2021/848, Annex II)
(see paragraphs 94-100, 125)
8.
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 on the list annexed to the contested decision on account of his status as a leading businessperson operating in Syria – Publicly available documents – Probative value – Principle of the unfettered evaluation of evidence
(Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2015/1836 and (CFSP) 2021/855, Annex I; Council Regulations No 36/2012 and 2021/848, Annex II)
(see paragraphs 104-105, 107-108, 111-112)
9.
Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures against Syria – Freezing of funds and economic resources – Action for annulment brought by a leading businessperson operating in Syria who is subject to a decision to freeze funds – Allocation of the burden of proof – Decision based on a series of indicators – Probative value
(Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2021/855, Annex I; Council Regulations No 36/2012 and 2021/848, Annex II)
(see paragraphs 114-116, 118-119)
10.
Common foreign and security policy – Specific restrictive measures against certain persons and entities in view of the situation in Syria – Decision 2013/255/CFSP and Regulation No 36/2012 – Presumption of support for the Syrian regime in the case of leading businesspersons operating in Syria – Whether permissible – Conditions – Rebuttable presumption – Evidence to the contrary – None
(Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2015/1836, Arts 27(2)(a) and (3), as well as 28(2)(a) and (3))
(see paragraphs 122, 123, 125, 126, 130, 131)
11.
Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures against Syria – Freezing of the funds of and restrictions on the admission of persons, entities or bodies associated with the Syrian regime – Restriction of the right to property and the free exercise of an economic activity – Breach of principle of proportionality – None
(Art. 5(4) TEU; Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Arts 15, 16 and 17; Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2015/1836 and (CFSP) 2021/855, Annex I; Council Regulation 2021/848, Annex II)
(see paragraphs 138-146)
12.
Non-contractual liability – Conditions – Unlawfulness – Damage – Causal link – Cumulative conditions – Obligation on the court to examine in a given order – None
(Art. 340, second para., TFEU)
(see paragraph 155)
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Dismisses the action;
2.
Orders Mr George Haswani to pay the costs.
(
1
)	OJ C 412, 11.10.2021.