Case T-362/22: Judgment of the General Court of 11 September 2024 – Bazhaev v Council (Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine – Freezing of funds – List of persons, entities and bodies subject to the freezing of funds and economic resources – Inclusion and maintenance of the applicant’s name on the list – Obligation to state reasons – Right to effective judicial protection – Concept of leading businesspersons – Article 2(1)(d) and (g) of Decision 2014/145/CFSP – Concept of association – Error of assessment – Right to property – Freedom to conduct a business – Right to private life – Proportionality – Principle of non-discrimination)
Date: 2024-09-11
Institutions: General Court
Subjects: EU restrictive measure, Russo-Ukrainian issue, economic sanctions, freezing of assets, international sanctions, natural person, ownership, principle of proportionality, protection of privacy, right to an effective remedy








C_202406250EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2024/6250


28.10.2024






Judgment of the General Court of 11 September 2024 – Bazhaev v Council


(Case T-362/22)
                (1)

(Common foreign and security policy - Restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine - Freezing of funds - List of persons, entities and bodies subject to the freezing of funds and economic resources - Inclusion and maintenance of the applicant’s name on the list - Obligation to state reasons - Right to effective judicial protection - Concept of ‘leading businesspersons’ - Article 2(1)(d) and (g) of Decision 2014/145/CFSP - Concept of ‘association’ - Error of assessment - Right to property - Freedom to conduct a business - Right to private life - Proportionality - Principle of non-discrimination)
(C/2024/6250)
Language of the case: French

Parties


Applicant: Musa Yusopovich Bazhaev (Moscow, Russia) (represented by: T. Bontinck, A. Guillerme, M. Brésart, L. Burguin, J. Goffin and L. Marchal, lawyers)

Defendant: Council of the European Union (represented by: V. Piessevaux, acting as Agent, and by B. Maingain, lawyer)

Intervener in support of the defendant: European Commission (represented by: J.-F. Brakeland, M. Carpus Carcea and C. Giolito, acting as Agents)

Re:

By his application, the applicant seeks:
first, on the basis of Article 263 TFEU, the annulment:






—


(i) of Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/582 of 8 April 2022 amending Decision 2014/145/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine (OJ 2022 L 110, p. 55), and of Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/581 of 8 April 2022 implementing Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine (OJ 2022 L 110, p. 3),










—


(ii) of Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/1530 of 14 September 2022 amending Decision 2014/145/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine (OJ 2022 L 239, p. 149), and of Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1529 of 14 September 2022 implementing Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine (OJ 2022 L 239, p. 1),










—


(iii) of Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/572 of 13 March 2023 amending Decision 2014/145/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine (OJ 2023 L 75I, p. 134), and of Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/571 of 13 March 2023 implementing Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine (OJ 2023 L 75I, p. 1),










—


(iv) of Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/1767 of 13 September 2023 amending Decision 2014/145/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine (OJ 2023 L 226, p. 104), and of Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1765 of 13 September 2023 implementing Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine (OJ 2023 L 226, p. 3), in so far as all of those acts include and maintain his name on the lists annexed to those acts, and,
second, on the basis of Article 268 TFEU, compensation for the non-material damage which he claims to have suffered as a result of the adoption of the contested acts.





Operative part of the judgment

The Court:






1.


Dismisses the action;










2.


Orders Mr Musa Yusopovich Bazhaev to bear his own costs and to pay those incurred by the Council of the European Union;










3.


Orders the European Commission to bear its own costs.






(1)  
            OJ C 303, 8.8.2022.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/6250/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)