Case T-125/22: Judgment of the General Court of 27 July 2022 — RT France v Council (Common foreign and security policy — Restrictive measures taken in view of Russia’s actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine — Temporary ban on broadcasting and suspension of authorisations to broadcast the content of certain media — Inclusion on the list of entities to which restrictive measures apply — Powers of the Council — Rights of the defence — Right to be heard — Freedom of expression and information — Proportionality — Freedom to conduct a business — Principle of non-discrimination on grounds of nationality)
Date: 2022-07-27
Institutions: General Court
Subjects: EU restrictive measure, Russia, Ukraine, discrimination on the basis of nationality, economic sanctions, freedom of expression, international sanctions, mass media, principle of proportionality, right to information, rights of the defence, territorial dispute








C_2022340EN.01004001.xml










5.9.2022   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 340/40






Judgment of the General Court of 27 July 2022 — RT France v Council
(Case T-125/22) (1)

(Common foreign and security policy - Restrictive measures taken in view of Russia’s actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine - Temporary ban on broadcasting and suspension of authorisations to broadcast the content of certain media - Inclusion on the list of entities to which restrictive measures apply - Powers of the Council - Rights of the defence - Right to be heard - Freedom of expression and information - Proportionality - Freedom to conduct a business - Principle of non-discrimination on grounds of nationality)
(2022/C 340/55)
Language of the case: French

Parties


Applicant: RT France (Boulogne-Billancourt, France) (represented by: E. Piwnica and M. Nguyen Chanh, lawyers)

Defendant: Council of the European Union (represented by: S. Lejeune, R. Meyer and S. Emmerechts, acting as Agents)

Interveners in support of the defendant: Kingdom of Belgium (represented by: C. Pochet, M. Van Regemorter and L. Van den Broeck, acting as Agents), Republic of Estonia (represented by: N. Grünberg and M. Kriisa, acting as Agents), French Republic (represented by: A.-L. Desjonquères, J.-L. Carré, W. Zemamta and T. Stéhelin, acting as Agents), Republic of Latvia (represented by: K. Pommere, J. Davidoviča, I. Hūna, D. Ciemiņa and V. Borodiņeca, acting as Agents), Republic of Lithuania (represented by: D. Karolis and V. Kazlauskaitė-Švenčionienė, acting as Agents), Republic of Poland (represented by: B. Majczyna and A. Miłkowska, acting as Agents), European Commission (represented by: D. Calleja Crespo, V. Di Bucci, J.-F. Brakeland and M. Carpus Carcea, acting as Agents), High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (represented by: F. Hoffmeister, L. Havas and M. A. De Almeida Veiga, acting as Agents)

Re:

By its action based on Article 263 TFEU, the applicant seeks annulment of Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/351 of 1 March 2022 amending Decision 2014/512/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine (OJ 2022 L 65, p. 5), and of Council Regulation (EU) 2022/350 of 1 March 2022 amending Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine (OJ 2022 L 65, p. 1), in so far as those acts relate to it.

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:






1.


Dismisses the action;










2.


Orders RT France to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by the Council of the European Union, including those relating to the interlocutory proceedings;










3.


Orders the Kingdom of Belgium, the Republic of Estonia, the French Republic, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Poland, the European Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to bear their own costs.






(1)  OJ C 148, 4.4.2022.