62019TJ0521_INF
Judgment of the General Court (Fourth Chamber) of 16 December 2020 –Haswani v Council
(Case T‑521/19)
(Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures adopted against Syria – Freezing of funds – Res judicata – Period allowed for commencing proceedings – Obligation to state reasons – Error of assessment – Proportionality)
1.
Action for annulment – Jurisdiction of the EU judicature – Claim seeking that directions be issued to an institution – Inadmissibility – Infringement of the right to effective judicial protection – None
(Arts 6(1), third para. and 19(1) TEU; Arts 263, fourth para., 264, 266, 267 and 277 TFEU; Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Arts 47 and 52(7))
(see paras 50-55)
2.
Action for annulment – Judgment annulling a measure – Effects – Obligation to implement – Scope
(Arts 263 and 265 TFEU)
(see para. 57)
3.
Action for annulment – Judgment annulling a measure – Scope – Absolute authority of res judicata – Conditions – Same subject matter and legal basis
(Art. 263 TFEU; Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2016/850, (CFSP) 2017/917, (CFSP) 2017/1245 and (CFSP) 2018/778; Council Regulations Nos 36/2012, 2016/840, 2017/907, 2017/1241 and 2018/774)
(see paras 69, 70, 72, 77-79, 82, 86, 87)
4.
Action for annulment – Time limits – Starting point of the limitation period – Measure entailing restrictive measures against a person or body – Measure published and notified to the addressees – Date of notification of the measure – Action out of time – Inadmissibility
(Art. 263, sixth para. TFEU; Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2016/850; Council Regulations No 36/2012 and 2016/840)
(see paras 91-93)
5.
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 Decisions 2013/255/CFSP, Arts 27(2)(a) and (3) and 28(2)(a) and (3), as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2015/1836, and (CFSP) 2019/806 and (CFSP) 2020/719; Council Regulations No 36/2012, Arts 15(1a)(a) and (1b) and Council Regulation 2015/1828)
(see paras 96-98, 135, 136)
6.
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, Arts 27(2)(a) and 28(2)(a), as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2015/1836, (CFSP) 2019/806 and (CFSP) 2020/719, Annex I; Council Regulation No 36/2012, as amended by Regulations 2019/798 and 2020/716, Annex II)
(see paras 109-114, 118-121)
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 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 Regulation No 36/2012, as amended by Regulations 2019/798 and 2020/716, Annex II)
(see paras 128-133, 141)
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 in the list annexed to the contested decision by virtue of his status as a leading businessperson operating in Syria – Publicly accessible documents – Probative value
(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 Regulation No 36/2012, as amended by Regulations 2019/798 and 2020/716, Annex II)
(see paras 138, 142, 143, 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 series of indicators – Probative value
(Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2019/806 and (CFSP) 2020/719, Annex I; Council Regulation No 36/2012, as amended by Regulations 2019/798 and 2020/716, Annex II)
(see paras 149-151, 153)
10.
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 Decision (CFSP) 2015/1836, Arts 27(2)(a), and (3), and 28(2)(a) and (3))
(see paras 157, 158, 160, 161, 165, 166)
11.
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
(Art. 5(4) TEU; Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Arts 15, 16 and 17; Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP, Art. 28(6) and (7), as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2015/1836, (CFSP) 2019/806 and (CFSP) 2020/719, Annex I; Council Regulations 2019/798 and 2020/716, Annex II)
(see paras 170-180)
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 paras 184-186)
Re:
Application under Article 263 TFEU seeking the annulment of Council Decision (CFSP) 2016/850 of 27 May 2016 amending Decision 2013/255/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Syria (OJ 2016 L 141, p. 125), of Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/840 of 27 May 2016 implementing Regulation (EU) No 36/2012 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria (OJ 2016 L 141, p. 30), of Council Decision (CFSP) 2017/917 of 29 May 2017 amending Decision 2013/255/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Syria (OJ 2017 L 139, p. 62), of Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/907 of 29 May 2017 implementing Regulation (EU) No 36/2012 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria (OJ 2017 L 139, p. 15), of Council Implementing Decision (CFSP) 2017/1245 of 10 July 2017 implementing Decision 2013/255/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Syria (OJ 2017 L 178, p. 13), of Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1241 of 10 July 2017 implementing Regulation (EU) No 36/2012 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria (OJ 2017 L 178, p. 1), of Council Decision (CFSP) 2018/778 of 28 May 2018 amending Decision 2013/255/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Syria (OJ 2018 L 131, p.16), of Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/774 of 28 May 2018 implementing Regulation (EU) No 36/2012 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria (OJ 2018 L 131, p. 1), 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 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 apply to the applicant and, moreover, application under Article 268 TFEU seeking compensation for the damage that that applicant allegedly suffered as a result of those acts.
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Dismisses the action;
2.
Orders Mr. George Haswani to pay the costs.