Case C-795/24 P: Appeal brought on 15 November 2024 by Andrey Anatolyevich Kozitsyn against the judgment of the General Court (First Chamber) delivered on 18 September 2024 in Joined Cases T-607/22 and T-731/22, Kozitsyn v Council
Date: 2024-11-15
Institutions: Court of Justice
Subjects: EU restrictive measure, Russo-Ukrainian issue, Ukraine, economic sanctions, entrepreneur, international sanctions, natural person, principle of legal certainty, principle of proportionality, shareholder








C_202500390EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2025/390


27.1.2025






Appeal brought on 15 November 2024 by Andrey Anatolyevich Kozitsyn against the judgment of the General Court (First Chamber) delivered on 18 September 2024 in Joined Cases T-607/22 and T-731/22, Kozitsyn v Council


(Case C-795/24 P)

(C/2025/390)
Language of the case: French

Parties


Appellant: Andrey Anatolyevich Kozitsyn (represented by: J. Grand d’Esnon, lawyer)

Other party to the proceedings: Council of the European Union

Form of order sought

The applicant claims that the Court should:






—


set aside the judgment of the General Court of the European Union of 18 September 2024, Kozitsyn v Council, (T-607/22 and T-731/22, EU:T:2024:635), in so far as it concerns the contested acts of 21 July 2022, 13 March 2023, 13 September 2023, 12 March 2024;










—


disapply by way of a plea of illegality Article 2(1)(g) of Council Decision 2014/145/CSFP, (1) and Article 3(1)(g) of Regulation (EU) 269/2014; (2)











—


annul:






—


Decision (CFSP) 2022/1272 (3) in so far as concerns Mr Kozitsyn and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1270 (4) in so far as concerns Mr Kozitsyn;










—


Decision (CFSP) 2023/572 (5) in so far as concerns Mr Kozitsyn and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/571 (6) in so far as concerns Mr Kozitsyn;










—


Decision (CFSP) 2023/1767 (7) in so far as concerns Mr Kozitsyn and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1765 (8) in so far as concerns Mr Kozitsyn;










—


Decision (CFSP) 2024/847 (9) in so far as concerns Mr Kozitsyn and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/849 (10) in so far as concerns Mr Kozitsyn.














—


order the Council of the European Union to pay the costs pursuant to Article 140(b) of the Rules of Procedure of the General Court.





Grounds of appeal and main arguments

In support of his action, the applicant raises one plea, alleging an error of law.
That plea comprises four parts, based on the various errors of law allegedly committed by the General Court in the contested decision:
On the breach of the principle of legal certainty and of the principle of proportionality by the wording of the amended criterion (g), the General Court erred in law in holding that the Council could validly broaden the definition of criterion (g) as resulting from Decision (CFSP) 2023/1094 (11) and from Regulation (EU) 2023/1089, (12) since, pursuant to that criterion, persons may be targeted by the restrictive measures despite having no direct link to the event giving rise to those measures.
On the breach of the principle of legal certainty by the interpretation of the concept of ‘involved’ within the meaning of criterion (g), the General Court erred in law in finding that that concept had to be understood as also covering persons who are mere shareholders in companies.
On the breach of the principle of legal certainty and of the principle of proportionality by its interpretation of the concept of ‘leading businesspersons’, the General Court committed an error of law and an error of characterisation in finding that that concept could cover the applicant.
On the error of law of the General Court in that the General Court did not annul the initial acts of 21 July 2022; the General Court erred in law in annulling the acts of 21 July 2022 without annulling the subsequent acts.


(1)  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 (OJ 2014 L 78, p. 16).

(2)  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 (OJ 2014 L 78, p. 6).

(3)  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).

(4)  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).

(5)  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).

(6)  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).

(7)  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).

(8)  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).

(9)  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).

(10)  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).

(11)  Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/1094 of 5 June 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 146, p. 20).

(12)  Council Regulation (EU) 2023/1089 of 5 June 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 146, p. 1).


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/390/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)