62022TJ0471_INF
Judgment of the General Court (Fifth Chamber) of 15 May 2024 –Anbouba v Council
(Case T‑471/22) (
1
)
(Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures taken in view of the situation in Syria – Freezing of funds – Restrictions on admission to the territory of the Member States – Maintenance of the applicant’s name on the lists of persons, entities and bodies – Criterion of ‘association with the Syrian regime’ – Criterion of ‘a leading businessperson operating in Syria’ – Presumption of a link with the Syrian regime – Error of assessment – Admissibility of the evidence)
1.
Judicial proceedings – Time limit for producing evidence – Article 85(3) of the Rules of Procedure of the General Court – Submission of evidence before the oral part of the procedure is closed – Whether permissible – Conditions – Late submission that is justified
(Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 85(3))
(see paragraphs 37-39, 42)
2.
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 – Obligation to take account of updated evidence
(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 47; Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2015/1836, 2022/849 and (CFSP) 2023/1035; Council Regulations No 36/2012, No 2022/840 and No 2023/1027)
(see paragraphs 49-55, 72, 95-98)
3.
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, 2022/849 and (CFSP) 2023/1035, Annexes; Council Regulations No 36/2012, No 2022/840 and No 2023/1027, Annexes)
(see paragraphs 59, 60, 62, 63, 122)
4.
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
(Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2015/1836, 2022/849 and (CFSP) 2023/1035; Council Regulations No 36/2012, No 2022/840 and No 2023/1027)
(see paragraph 73)
5.
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 – Support provided to and benefit derived from the Syrian regime – Meaning – Autonomous legal criterion – High-ranking persons who are close to the government serving as senior officials – Meaning
(Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2015/1836, 2022/849 and (CFSP) 2023/1035, Arts 27(1) and 28(1), Annexes; Council Regulations No 36/2012 and No 2022/840, Art. 15(1)(a), Annexes)
(see paragraphs 75, 76, 89, 109-111)
6.
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 – Autonomous, objective and sufficient legal criterion – Presumption of support for the Syrian regime
(Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2015/1836 and (CFSP) 2023/1035, Art. 27(2)(a) and (3), and Art. 28(2)(a) and (3), Annexes; Council Regulations No 36/2012 and No 2023/1027, Art. 15(1a)(a) and (1b), Annexes)
(see paragraphs 75, 77, 89, 134)
7.
Judicial proceedings – Res judicata – Decisions of the EU judicature concerning the designation of an applicant on a list of persons subject to restrictive measures – Evidence previously taken into account by the Courts of the European Union – Scope – Different legislative context – New listing criteria – New grounds for listing having to be substantiated by new evidence
(Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2015/1836, 2022/849 and (CFSP) 2023/1035, Art. 27(1), (2)(a) and (3), and Art. 28(1), (2)(a), and (3), Annexes; Council Regulations No 36/2012, No 2022/840 and No 2023/1027, Art. 15(1)(a), (1a)(a), and (1b), Annexes)
(see paragraphs 82-88, 90-93, 99)
8.
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 – Support provided to and benefit derived from the Syrian regime – Meaning – Autonomous legal criterion – Inclusion on the lists based on a specific, precise and consistent set of indicia – None
(Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2015/1836, 2022/849, Arts 27(1) and 28(1), Annexes; Council Regulations No 36/2012 and No 2022/840, Art. 15(1)(a), Annexes)
(see paragraphs 102-108, 115, 117, 147)
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 set of indicia – Probative value – Scope – Error of assessment – None
(Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2015/1836 and (CFSP) 2023/1035, Art. 27(2)(a) and (3), and Art. 28(2)(a) and (3), Annexes; Council Regulations No 36/2012 and No 2023/1027, Art. 15(1a)(a) and (1b), Annexes)
(see paragraphs 119, 120, 127, 130, 138, 144, 145, 148)
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Annuls Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/849 of 20 May 2022 amending Decision 2013/255/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Syria, and Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/840 of 30 May 2022 implementing Regulation (EU) No 36/2012 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria, in so far as they concern Mr Issam Anbouba;
2.
Dismisses the action as to the remainder;
3.
Orders Mr Anbouba and the Council of the European Union each to bear their own costs.
(
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)	OJ C 359, 19.9.2022.