Joined Cases T-607/22 and T-731/22: Judgment of the General Court of 18 September 2024 – Kozitsyn v Council (Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures adopted in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine – Freezing of funds – Restrictions on admission to the territory of the Member States – Lists of persons, entities and bodies subject to the freezing of funds and economic resources and subject to restrictions on admission to the territory of the Member States – Inclusion and maintenance of the applicant’s name on such a list – Concept of leading businesspersons – Concept of businessperson involved in economic sectors providing a substantial source of revenue to the Government of the Russian Federation – Article 2(1)(g) of Decision 2014/145/CFSP – Article 3(1)(g) of Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 – Plea of illegality – Rights of the defence – Right to effective judicial protection – Error of assessment – Right to property – Freedom to conduct a business)
Date: 2024-09-18
Institutions: General Court
Subjects: EU restrictive measure, Russo-Ukrainian issue, Ukraine, economic sanctions, entrepreneur, freezing of assets, international sanctions, natural person, ownership, rights of the defence








C_202406429EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2024/6429


4.11.2024






Judgment of the General Court of 18 September 2024 – Kozitsyn v Council


(Joined Cases T-607/22 and T-731/22)
                (1)

(Common foreign and security policy - Restrictive measures adopted in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine - Freezing of funds - Restrictions on admission to the territory of the Member States - Lists of persons, entities and bodies subject to the freezing of funds and economic resources and subject to restrictions on admission to the territory of the Member States - Inclusion and maintenance of the applicant’s name on such a list - Concept of ‘leading businesspersons’ - Concept of ‘businessperson involved in economic sectors providing a substantial source of revenue to the Government of the Russian Federation’ - Article 2(1)(g) of Decision 2014/145/CFSP - Article 3(1)(g) of Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 - Plea of illegality - Rights of the defence - Right to effective judicial protection - Error of assessment - Right to property - Freedom to conduct a business)
(C/2024/6429)
Language of the case: French

Parties


Applicant: Andrey Anatolyevich Kozitsyn (Verkhniaïa Pychma, Russia) (represented by: J. Grand d’Esnon, C. Durrleman, S. Lescanne, F. Charroux and A. Egger, lawyers)

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

Re:

By his actions under Article 263 TFEU, the applicant seeks the annulment:






—


in Case T-607/22, of Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/1272 of 21 July 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 193, p. 219), and of Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1270 of 21 July 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 193, p. 133);










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in Case T-731/22, 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);










—


in Joined Cases T-607/22 and T-731/22:










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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 75 I, 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 75 I, p. 1);










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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);










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of Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/847 of 12 March 2024 amending Decision 2014/145/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine (OJ L 2024/847), and of Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/849 of 12 March 2024 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 L 2024/849).





Operative part of the judgment

The Court:






1.


Annuls 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, and 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, in so far as the name of Mr Andrey Anatolyevich Kozitsyn has been maintained on the list of persons, entities and bodies subject to restrictive measures set out in the annex to Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP of 17 March 2014 concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine and in Annex I to Council Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 of 17 March 2014 concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine;










2.


Dismisses the actions as to the remainder;










3.


Orders Mr Kozitsyn to bear four fifths of his own costs, as well as four fifths of the costs incurred by the Council of the European Union;










4.


Orders the Council to bear one fifth of its own costs, as well as one fifth of the costs incurred by Mr Kozitsyn.






(1)  
            OJ C 432, 14.11.2022.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/6429/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)