Case T-649/22: Judgment of the General Court of 12 June 2024 – Shammout v Council (Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures taken in view of the situation in Syria – Freezing of funds – Restrictions on admission to the territory of the Member States – Inclusion and maintenance of the applicant’s name on the lists of persons, entities and bodies concerned – Criterion of leading businessperson operating in Syria – Presumption of a link with the Syrian regime – Error of assessment – Rights of the defence – Right to effective judicial protection – Obligation to state reasons – Proportionality – Right to property – Freedom to choose an occupation and right to engage in work – Freedom to conduct a business – Admissibility of evidence)
Date: 2024-06-12
Institutions: General Court
Subjects: EU restrictive measure, Syria, economic sanctions, freezing of assets, international sanctions, natural person, ownership, principle of proportionality, right to work, rights of the defence








C_202404582EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2024/4582


29.7.2024






Judgment of the General Court of 12 June 2024 – Shammout v Council


(Case T-649/22)
                (1)

(Common foreign and security policy - Restrictive measures taken in view of the situation in Syria - Freezing of funds - Restrictions on admission to the territory of the Member States - Inclusion and maintenance of the applicant’s name on the lists of persons, entities and bodies concerned - Criterion of ‘leading businessperson operating in Syria’ - Presumption of a link with the Syrian regime - Error of assessment - Rights of the defence - Right to effective judicial protection - Obligation to state reasons - Proportionality - Right to property - Freedom to choose an occupation and right to engage in work - Freedom to conduct a business - Admissibility of evidence)
(C/2024/4582)
Language of the case: English

Parties


Applicant: Issam Shammout (Damascus, Syria) (represented by: L. Cloquet, lawyer)

Defendant: Council of the European Union (represented by: T. Haas, acting as Agent, and by B. Maingain and S. Remy, lawyers)

Re:

By his action under Article 263 TFEU, the applicant seeks the annulment, first, of Council Implementing Decision (CFSP) 2022/1277 of 21 July 2022 implementing Decision 2013/255/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Syria (OJ 2022 L 194, p. 15) and Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1275 of 21 July 2022 implementing Regulation (EU) No 36/2012 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria (OJ 2022 L 194, p. 8), and, second, of Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/1035 of 25 May 2023 amending Decision 2013/255/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria (OJ 2023 L 139, p. 49) and Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1027 of 25 May 2023 implementing Regulation (EU) No 36/2012 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria (OJ 2023 L 139, p. 1), in so far as those four acts include or maintain his name on the lists annexed to those acts.

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:






1.


Dismisses the action;










2.


Orders Mr Issam Shammout to pay the costs.






(1)  
            OJ C 463, 5.12.2022.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/4582/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)