Judgment of the Court (Sixth Chamber) of 26 March 2026 –
UC v Council
(Case C‑455/24 P)
( Appeal – Common foreign and security policy (CFSP) – Restrictive measures taken in view of the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo – List of persons and entities subject to the freezing of funds and economic resources – List of persons subject to restrictions on entry into and transit through the territory of the European Union – Inclusion of the applicant’s name – Action for annulment )
1.      Acts of the institutions – Legal nature – Legislative act – Meaning – Acts adopted on the basis of Article 29 TEU and Article 215 TFEU – Not included – Observance of the principle of legality where fundamental rights are restricted in connection with restrictive measures – No bearing on the classification of the acts
(Arts 29 and 31(1) TEU; Arts 215 and 289(3) TFEU; Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 52(1); Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2016/2231 and (CFSP) 2022/2377; Council Regulations No 1183/2005, 2016/2230 and 2022/2373)
(see paragraphs 43-45, 48-53)
2.      Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures directed against the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Choice of legal basis – Article 215 TFEU rather than Article 75 TFEU taken as basis
(Arts 75 and 215 TFEU; Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2016/2231 and (CFSP) 2022/2377; Council Regulations No 1183/2005, 2016/2230 and 2022/2373)
(see paragraphs 46, 47)
3.      Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures directed against the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Scope – Persons engaging in the illicit exploitation of or trade in natural resources – Meaning – Observance of the principle of legal certainty requiring clarity, precision and foreseeability of the effects of legal rules – Observance of the principle of legality
(Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2022/2377 and (CFSP) 2022/2398, Art. 3(2)(f); Council Regulations No 1183/2005, Art. 2b(1)(f), 2022/2373 and 2022/2397)
(see paragraphs 90, 91)
4.      European Union – Judicial review of the legality of the acts of the institutions – Restrictive measures directed against the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Scope of the review – Inclusion of the applicant on the list annexed to the contested decision – Listing capable of being supported by some grounds and not others – Validity of the listing
(Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2022/2377 and (CFSP) 2022/2398, Art. 3(2)(f); Council Regulations No 1183/2005, Art. 2b(1)(f), 2022/2373 and 2022/2397)
(see paragraph 92)
5.      Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures directed against the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Legal basis – Restrictive measures provided for by a decision and a regulation adopted, respectively, on the basis of Article 29 TEU and Article 215 TFEU – Power of the Council to adopt independent restrictive measures, distinct from those recommended by the United Nations Security Council – Statement of reasons – Obligation – Scope
(Art. 29 TEU; Art. 215 TFEU; Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2016/2231, (CFSP) 2022/2377 and (CFSP) 2022/2398, Art. 3(1) and (2); Council Regulations No 1183/2005, Arts 2a(1) and 2b(1) and (2), 2016/2230, 2022/2373 and 2022/2397)
(see paragraphs 105-109)
6.      European Union – Judicial review of the legality of the acts of the institutions – Restrictive measures directed against the Democratic Republic of the Congo – 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 – Inclusion on the lists based on a specific, precise and consistent body of evidence
(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 47; Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2022/2377 and (CFSP) 2022/2398; Council Regulations No 1183/2005, 2022/2373 and 2022/2397)
(see paragraphs 115-118)
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Dismisses the appeal;
2.
Orders UC to bear his own costs and to pay those incurred by the Council of the European Union.