Case T-732/22: Judgment of the General Court of 18 December 2024 – Deripaska v Council (Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures taken 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 – Retention of the of the applicant’s name on the list – Concept of leading businessperson – Concept of businesspersons involved in economic sectors providing a substantial source of revenue to the Government of the Russian Federation – Article 2(1)(a) and (g) of Decision 2014/145/CFSP – Plea of illegality – Obligation to state reasons – Right to effective judicial protection and rights of the defence – Error of assessment – Proportionality – Right to property – Right to be heard)
Date: 2024-12-18
Institutions: General Court
Subjects: EU restrictive measure, Russo-Ukrainian issue, economic sanctions, freezing of assets, international sanctions, legality, natural person, principle of proportionality, right to an effective remedy, right to property








C_202501097EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2025/1097


24.2.2025






Judgment of the General Court of 18 December 2024 – Deripaska v Council


(Case T-732/22)
                (1)

(Common foreign and security policy - Restrictive measures taken 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 - Retention of the of the applicant’s name on the list - Concept of ‘leading businessperson’ - Concept of ‘businesspersons involved in economic sectors providing a substantial source of revenue to the Government of the Russian Federation’ - Article 2(1)(a) and (g) of Decision 2014/145/CFSP - Plea of illegality - Obligation to state reasons - Right to effective judicial protection and rights of the defence - Error of assessment - Proportionality - Right to property - Right to be heard)
(C/2025/1097)
Language of the case: French

Parties


Applicant: Oleg Vladimirovich Deripaska (Khutor Sokolsky, Russia) (represented by: T. Bontinck, M. Brésart and J. Goffin, lawyer)

Defendant: Council of the European Union (represented by: V. Piessevaux and M.-C. Cadilhac, acting as Agents, and by B. Maingain, lawyer)

Intervener in support of the defendant: European Commission (represented by: C. Giolito, C. Georgieva and L. Puccio, acting as Agents)

Re:

By his action, the applicant claims that the Court should, first, on the basis of Article 263 TFEU, annul (i) Council Decision (CSFP) 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 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), (ii) Council Decision (CSFP) 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 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), (iii) Council Decision (CSFP) 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 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 (JO 2023, L 226, p. 3), and (iv) Council Decision (CSFP) 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 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), in so far as those acts all concern the applicant, and, second, on the basis of Article 268 TFEU, order compensation for the non-material damage the applicant 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 Oleg Vladimirovich Deripaska 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 24 of 23.1.2023.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/1097/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)