62018TJ0335_INF
Judgment of the General Court (Ninth Chamber) of 6 April 2022 –Mubarak and Others v Council
(Cases T‑335/18, T‑338/18 and T‑327/19) (
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(Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures adopted in view of the situation in Egypt – Measures directed against persons responsible for misappropriation of State funds and associated persons and entities – Freezing of funds – List of persons, entities and bodies subject to the freezing of funds – Maintenance of the applicants’ names on the list – Rights of the defence – Obligation on the Council of the European Union to verify that the decision of an authority of a third State was taken in accordance with the rights of the defence and the right to effective judicial protection – Error of law – Manifest error of assessment)
1.
Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures adopted in view of the situation in Egypt – Decision to freeze funds – Adoption or maintenance on the basis of a national decision to freeze funds or on the basis of a judicial decision by an authority of a third State – Whether permissible – Condition – National decision adopted in accordance with the rights of the defence and the right to effective judicial protection – Council’s verification obligation – Obligation to state reasons – Scope
(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 47; Council Decision 2011/172/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2018/466, (CFSP) 2019/468 and (CFSP) 2020/418; Council Regulations Nos 270/2011, 2018/465, 2019/459 and 2020/416)
(see paras 51-56, 171-173)
2.
EU law – Principles – Rights of the defence – Right to effective judicial protection – Restrictive measures directed against certain persons, entities and bodies in view of the situation in Egypt – Duties of the Council – Communication to the person concerned of inculpatory evidence and the right to be heard – Right of access to the file
(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 41(2); Council Decision 2011/172/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2018/466, (CFSP) 2019/468 and (CFSP) 2020/418; Council Regulations Nos 270/2011, 2018/465, 2019/459 and 2020/416)
(see paras 57-59)
3.
European Union – Judicial review of the legality of the acts of the institutions – Restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities in view of the situation in Egypt – Effective judicial protection – Scope of the review
(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 47; Council Decision 2011/172/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2018/466, (CFSP) 2019/468 and (CFSP) 2020/418; Council Regulations Nos 270/2011, 2018/465, 2019/459 and 2020/416)
(see paras 60-62, 175)
4.
Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures adopted in view of the situation in Egypt – Decision to freeze funds – Adoption or maintenance on the basis of a national decision to freeze funds or on the basis of a judicial decision by an authority of a third State – Whether permissible – Condition – National decision adopted in accordance with the rights of the defence and the right to effective judicial protection – Right to be tried within a reasonable period of time – Council’s verification obligation
(Council Decision 2011/172/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2018/466, (CFSP) 2019/468 and (CFSP) 2020/418; Council Regulations Nos 270/2011, 2018/465, 2019/459 and 2020/416)
(see paras 63, 105, 107-109, 113, 144-147, 160)
5.
Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures adopted in view of the situation in Egypt – Decision to freeze funds – Adopted or maintained on the basis of a judicial procedure carried out by the authorities of a third State concerning the misappropriation of public funds – Conditions – National decision adopted in accordance with the rights of the defence and the right to effective judicial protection – Obligation on the competent EU authority to establish, in the event of challenge, that the grounds relied on against the persons or entities concerned are well founded – Council’s obligation to verify observance of the rights in question – Infringement
(Council Decision 2011/172/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2018/466, (CFSP) 2019/468 and (CFSP) 2020/418; Council Regulations Nos 270/2011, 2018/465, 2019/459 and 2020/416)
(see paras 121-131, 135, 136, 148, 151, 161, 165, 168, 169, 177)
6.
Action for annulment – Judgment annulling a measure – Effects – Limitation by the Court – Restrictive measures in view of the situation in Egypt – Annulment of the contested acts not leading to the removal of the applicant’s name from the list at issue – Subsequent decision replacing that list – Maintenance of the effects of the annulled measures until the expiry of the deadline for lodging an appeal or until the dismissal thereof – Absence
(Art. 264, second para. TFEU; Statute of the Court of Justice, Art. 60; Council Decision 2011/172/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2018/466, (CFSP) 2019/468 and (CFSP) 2020/418; Council Regulations Nos 270/2011, 2018/465, 2019/459 and 2020/416)
(see para. 179)
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Orders that Cases T‑335/18, T‑338/18 and T‑327/19 be joined for the purposes of the judgment;
2.
Annuls Council Decision (CFSP) 2018/466 of 21 March 2018 amending Decision 2011/172/CFSP concerning restrictive measures directed against certain persons, entities and bodies in view of the situation in Egypt, Council Decision (CFSP) 2019/468 of 21 March 2019 amending Decision 2011/172/CFSP concerning restrictive measures directed against certain persons, entities and bodies in view of the situation in Egypt and Council Decision (CFSP) 2020/418 of 19 March 2020 amending Decision 2011/172/CFSP concerning restrictive measures directed against certain persons, entities and bodies in view of the situation in Egypt, in so far as those decisions concern Mr Gamal Mohamed Hosni Elsayed Mubarak, Mr Alaa Mohamed Hosni Elsayed Mubarak, Ms Heidy Mohamed Magdy Hussein Rasekh, Ms Khadiga Mahmoud El Gammal and Ms Suzanne Saleh Thabet;
3.
Annuls Decision 2019/468 and Decision 2020/418 in so far as those decisions concern Mr Mohamed Hosni Elsayed Mubarak;
4.
Annuls Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/465 of 21 March 2018 implementing Regulation (EU) No 270/2011 concerning restrictive measures directed against certain persons, entities and bodies in view of the situation in Egypt, Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/459 of 21 March 2019 implementing Regulation (EU) No 270/2011 concerning restrictive measures directed against certain persons, entities and bodies in view of the situation in Egypt and Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/416 of 19 March 2020 implementing Regulation (EU) No 270/2011 concerning restrictive measures directed against certain persons, entities and bodies in view of the situation in Egypt, in so far as those regulations concern Mr Gamal Mohamed Hosni Elsayed Mubarak, Mr Alaa Mohamed Hosni Elsayed Mubarak, Ms Heidy Mohamed Magdy Hussein Rasekh, Ms Khadiga Mahmoud El Gammal and Ms Suzanne Saleh Thabet;
5.
Annuls Implementing Regulation 2019/459 and Implementing Regulation 2020/416 in so far as they concern Mr Mohamed Hosni Elsayed Mubarak;
6.
Orders the Council of the European Union, in addition to bearing its own costs, to pay the costs incurred by Mr Gamal Mohamed Hosni Elsayed Mubarak, Mr Alaa Mohamed Hosni Elsayed Mubarak, Mr Mohamed Hosni Elsayed Mubarak, Ms Heidy Mohamed Magdy Hussein Rasekh, Ms Khadiga Mahmoud El Gammal and Ms Suzanne Saleh Thabet.
(
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)	OJ C 259, 23.7.2018.