Case T-715/14: Judgment of the General Court of 13 September 2018 –Rosneft and Others v Council (Common foreign and security policy — Restrictive measures adopted in view of Russia’s actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine — Obligation to state reasons — Manifest error of assessment — Rights of the defence and right to effective judicial protection — Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and Russia — Right to property — Equal treatment — Proportionality — Misuse of powers — Legal certainty)
Date: 2018-09-13
Institutions: General Court
Subjects: EU restrictive measure, Russia, Russo-Ukrainian issue, Ukraine, cooperation agreement (EU), economic sanctions, equal treatment, international sanctions, legal person, ownership








C_2018392EN.01001301.xml










29.10.2018   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 392/13






Judgment of the General Court of 13 September 2018 –Rosneft and Others v Council
(Case T-715/14) (1)

((Common foreign and security policy - Restrictive measures adopted in view of Russia’s actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine - Obligation to state reasons - Manifest error of assessment - Rights of the defence and right to effective judicial protection - Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and Russia - Right to property - Equal treatment - Proportionality - Misuse of powers - Legal certainty))
(2018/C 392/16)
Language of the case: English

Parties


Applicants: PAO Rosneft Oil Company, formerly NK Rosneft OAO (Moscow, Russia), RN-Shelf-Arctic OOO (Moscow), AO RN-Shelf-Far East, formerly RN-Shelf-Dalniy Vostok ZAO (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia), RN-Exploration OOO (Moscow), Tagulskoe OOO (Krasnoyarsk, Russia) (represented by: initially T. Beazley QC, subsequently by L. Van den Hende, J. Charles, lawyers, M. Schonberg and K. Krissinel, Solicitors)

Defendant: Council of the European Union (represented by: S. Boelaert and B. Driessen, acting as Agents)

Interveners in support of the defendant: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (represented by: initially C. Brodie, and subsequently by V. Kaye, and subsequently by S. Brandon, and subsequently by C. Crane, and finally by R. Fadoju, acting as Agents, and by C. Banner, Barrister), European Commission (represented by: L. Havas, T. Scharf and D. Gauci, acting as Agents)

Re:

Application under Article 263 TFEU seeking annulment of Article 1(2)(b) to (d) and Article 1(3) of, and Annex III to, Council Decision 2014/512/CFSP of 31 July 2014 concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine (OJ 2014 L 229, p. 13), as amended by Council Decision 2014/659/CFSP of 8 September 2014 (OJ 2014 L 271, p. 54), by Council Decision 2014/872/CFSP of 4 December 2014 (OJ 2014 L 349, p. 58), by Council Decision (CFSP) 2015/971 of 22 June 2015 (OJ 2015 L 157, p. 50), by Council Decision (CFSP) 2015/2431 of 21 December 2015 (OJ 2015 L 334, p. 22), by Council Decision (CFSP) 2016/1071 of 1 July 2016 (OJ 2016 L 178, p. 21), and by Council Decision (CFSP) 2016/2315 of 19 December 2016 (OJ 2016 L 345, p. 65), and also of Articles 3, 3a, Article 4(3) and (4), Annex II, Article 5(2)(b) to (d) and Article 5(3), Annex VI and Article 11 of Council Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 of 31 July 2014 concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine (OJ 2014 L 229, p. 1), as amended by Council Regulation (EU) No 960/2014 of 8 September 2014 (OJ 2014 L 271, p. 3), and by Council Regulation (EU) No 1290/2014 of 4 December 2014 (OJ 2014 L 349, p. 20).

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:






1.


Dismisses the action;










2.


Orders PAO Rosneft Oil Company, RN-Shelf-Arctic OOO, AO RN-Shelf-Far East, RN-Exploration OOO and Tagulskoe OOO to bear their own costs and to pay those incurred by the Council of the European Union;










3.


Orders the European Commission and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland each to bear their own costs.






(1)  OJ C 431, 1.12.2014.