62019TJ0540_INF
Judgment of the General Court (Fourth Chamber) of 28 April 2021 –Sharif v Council
(Case T‑540/19)
(Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures taken against Syria – Freezing of funds – Error of assessment – Proportionality – Right to property – Right to exercise an economic activity)
1.
Action for annulment – Natural or legal persons – Measures of direct and individual concern to them – Restrictive measures adopted against Syria – Decision reviewing the list of persons, groups or entities concerned and supplementing that list – Action brought by a person not referred to in that decision – Admissibility
(Art. 263 TFEU; Council Regulations No 36/2012, Art. 32(4) and 2019/798)
(see paras 48, 49)
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 grounds held 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) 2019/806 and (CFSP) 2020/719, Annex I; Council Regulations No 36/2012, Annex II, 2019/798 and 2020/716)
(see paras 51-56)
3.
Common foreign and security policy – Specific restrictive measures against certain persons and bodies 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 – Definition
(Art. 29 TEU; Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2015/1836, (CFSP) 2019/806 and (CFSP) 2020/719, Arts 27(2)(a) and 28(2)(a); Council Regulations No 36/2012, Art. 15(1a)(a), 2015/1828, 2019/798 and 2020/716)
(see para. 68)
4.
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
(see paras 70-75)
5.
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 Decisions (CFSP) 2019/806 and (CFSP) 2020/719, Annex I; Council Regulations No 36/2012, Annex II, 2019/798 and 2020/716)
(see paras 89, 90, 127)
6.
Action for annulment – Review of legality – Criteria – Account taken only of elements of fact and law existing at the date on which the contested measure was adopted
(Art. 263 TFEU)
(see para. 94, 96, 126)
7.
Judicial proceedings – Production of evidence – Time limit – Late submission of evidence and offers of evidence – Conditions
(Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 85)
(see paras 103, 104)
8.
Common foreign and security policy – Specific restrictive measures against certain persons and bodies 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 Decisions (CFSP) 2015/1836 and (CFSP) 2019/806, Arts 27(2)(a), and (3), and 28(2)(a) and (3), and Annex I)
(see paras 131-134, 143)
9.
Common foreign and security policy – Specific restrictive measures against certain persons and bodies in view of the situation in Syria – Decision 2013/255/CFSP – Assumption that influential businessmen and women engaged in activities in Syria and members of the Assad and Makhlouf families support the Syrian regime – Whether permissible – Conditions
(Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2015/1836 and (CFSP) 2020/719, Art. 27(2)(a) and (b), and 28(2)(a) and (b), and Annex I; Council Regulations No 36/2012, Art. 15(1a) and Annex II, 2015/1828 and 2020/716)
(see paras 146, 159-161, 174)
10.
Judicial proceedings – Decision or regulation replacing the contested measure in the course of proceedings – Application to modify the application – Obligation for the applicant to accompany that application with modified pleas in law and arguments – None, except where there are substantial differences between the two measures – General Court’s obligation of verification
(Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 86(1) and (4))
(see paras 180, 181)
11.
Judicial proceedings – Modification of the pleas in the course of proceedings – Formal requirements – Summary of the pleas in law on which the application is based – Transposition of the initial pleas in law – Conditions
(Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 86(4))
(see paras 185, 186, 189, 190)
12.
Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures against Syria – Freezing of the funds of and restrictions on the admission of persons, entities or organisations 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
(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, (CFSP) 2019/806 and (CFSP) 2020/719, Annex I; Council Regulations No 36/2012, Annex II, 2015/1828, 2019/798 and 2020/716)
(see paras 198-205)
Re:
Application based on Article 263 TFEU seeking annulment of Council Decision (CFSP) 2019/806 of 17 May 2019 amending Decision 2013/255/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Syria (OJ 2019 L 132, p. 36), of Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/798 of 17 May 2019 implementing Regulation (EU) No 36/2012 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria (OJ 2019 L 132, p. 1), of Council Decision (CFSP) 2020/719 of 28 May 2020 amending Decision 2013/255/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Syria (OJ 2020 L 168, p. 66), and of Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/716 of 28 May 2020 implementing Regulation (EU) No 36/2012 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria (OJ 2020 L 168, p. 1), in so far as those measures relate to the applicant.
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Dismisses the action;
2.
Orders Mr Ammar Sharif to bear his own costs and to pay those incurred by the Council of the European Union;
3.
Orders the European Commission to bear its own costs.