Case T-440/11: Judgment of the General Court of 9 December 2014  — BT Telecommunications v Council (Common foreign and security policy — Restrictive measures adopted against Belarus — Freezing of funds — Obligation to state reasons — Rights of the defence — Right to be heard — Error of assessment)
Date: 2014-12-09
Institutions: General Court
Subjects: Belarus, civil servant, common foreign and security policy, economic sanctions, international sanctions, rights of the defence








C_2015034EN.01002901.xml










2.2.2015   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 34/29





Judgment of the General Court of 9 December 2014 — BT Telecommunications v Council
(Case T-440/11) (1)

((Common foreign and security policy - Restrictive measures adopted against Belarus - Freezing of funds - Obligation to state reasons - Rights of the defence - Right to be heard - Error of assessment))
(2015/C 034/33)
Language of the case: English

Parties


Applicant: BT Telecommunications PUE (Minsk, Belarus) (represented by: V. Vaitkutė Pavan, A. Smaliukas, E. Matulionyte and T. Milašauskas, lawyers)

Defendant: Council of the European Union (represented by: F. Naert and M. Bishop, acting as Agents)

Intervener in support of the defendant: European Commission (represented by: T. Scharf and E. Paasivirta, acting as Agents)

Re:

Application for annulment of Council Decision 2011/357/CFSP of 20 June 2011 amending Decision 2010/639/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against certain officials of Belarus (OJ 2011 L 161, p. 25), Council Regulation (EU) No 588/2011 of 20 June 2011 amending Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 concerning restrictive measures against President Lukashenko and certain officials of Belarus (OJ 2011 L 161, p. 1), Council Decision 2011/666/CFSP of 10 October 2011 amending Decision 2010/639/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Belarus (OJ 2011 L 265, p. 17), Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1000/2011 of 10 October 2011 implementing Article 8a(1) of Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 concerning restrictive measures in respect of Belarus (OJ 2011 L 265, p. 8), Council Decision 2012/642/CFSP of 15 October 2012 concerning restrictive measures against Belarus (OJ 2012 L 285, p. 1), Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1017/2012 of 6 November 2012 implementing Article 8a(1) of Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 concerning restrictive measures in respect of Belarus (OJ 2012 L 307, p. 7), Council Decision 2013/534/CFSP of 29 October 2013 amending Decision 2012/642 (OJ 2013 L 288, p. 69), and Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1054/2013 of 29 October 2013 implementing Article 8a(1) of Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 concerning restrictive measures in respect of Belarus (OJ 2013 L 288, p. 1), in so far as those acts concern the applicant.

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:






1)


Annuls Council Decision 2011/357/CFSP of 20 June 2011, amending Decision 2010/639/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against certain officials of Belarus, Council Regulation (EU) No 588/2011 of 20 June 2011 amending Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 concerning restrictive measures against President Lukashenko and certain officials of Belarus, Council Decision 2011/666/CFSP of 10 October 2011 amending Decision 2010/639/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Belarus, Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1000/2011 of 10 October 2011 implementing Article 8a(1) of Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 concerning restrictive measures in respect of Belarus, Council Decision 2012/642/CFSP of 15 October 2012 concerning restrictive measures against Belarus, and Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1017/2012 of 6 November 2012 implementing Article 8a(1) of Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 concerning restrictive measures in respect of Belarus, in so far as those acts concern BT Telecommunications PUE;










2)


Dismisses the action as being inadmissible in so far as it concerns Council Decision 2013/534/CFSP of 29 October 2013 amending Decision 2012/642 and Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1054/2013 of 29 October 2013 implementing Article 8a(1) of Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 concerning restrictive measures in respect of Belarus;










3)


Orders the Council of the European Union to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by BT Telecommunications;










4)


Orders the European Commission to bear its own costs.






(1)  OJ C 290, 1.10.2011.