Case T-498/22: Judgment of the General Court of 26 February 2025 – Melnichenko 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 – Restrictions on entry into the territory of the Member States – List of persons, entities and bodies subject to the freezing of funds and economic resources and subject to restrictions on entry into the territory of the Member States – Inclusion and maintenance of the applicant’s name on the list – Concept of association – Article 2(1), in fine, of Decision 2014/145/CFSP – Plea of illegality – Error of assessment – Fundamental rights – Proportionality)
Date: 2025-02-26
Institutions: General Court
Subjects: EU restrictive measure, Russo-Ukrainian issue, Ukraine, economic sanctions, freedom of movement, freezing of assets, human rights, international sanctions, natural person, principle of proportionality








C_202502198EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2025/2198


22.4.2025






Judgment of the General Court of 26 February 2025 – Melnichenko v Council


(Case T-498/22)
                (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 - Restrictions on entry into the territory of the Member States - List of persons, entities and bodies subject to the freezing of funds and economic resources and subject to restrictions on entry into the territory of the Member States - Inclusion and maintenance of the applicant’s name on the list - Concept of ‘association’ - Article 2(1), 
in fine
, of Decision 2014/145/CFSP - Plea of illegality - Error of assessment - Fundamental rights - Proportionality)
(C/2025/2198)
Language of the case: English

Parties


Applicant: Aleksandra Melnichenko (Saint-Moritz, Switzerland) (represented by: A. Miron, D. Müller, H. Bajer Pellet, R. Pieri, A. Beauchemin, lawyers, and C. Zatschler, Senior Counsel)

Defendant: Council of the European Union (represented by: B. Driessen and J. Rurarz, acting as Agents, and by B. Maingain and S. Remy, lawyers)

Interveners in support of the applicant: EuroChem Group AG (Zug, Switzerland), Siberian Coal Energy Company AO (SUEK) (Moscow, Russia) (represented by: N. Montag, L. Engelen and S. Bonifassi, lawyers)

Intervener in support of the defendant: Kingdom of Belgium (represented by: C. Pochet, M. Van Regemorter and L. Van den Broeck, acting as Agents)

Re:

By her action based on Article 263 TFEU, the applicant seeks annulment of the following acts, in so far as they include and maintain her name on the lists annexed thereto:






—


first, Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/883 of 3 June 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 153, p. 92) and Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/878 of 3 June 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 153, p. 15);










—


second, 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 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);










—


third, 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 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), as well as Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/811 of 13 April 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 101, p. 67) and Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/806 of 13 April 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 101, p. 1).





Operative part of the judgment

The Court:






1.


Dismisses the action;










2.


Orders Ms Aleksandra Melnichenko to pay the costs;










3.


Orders EuroChem Group AG, Siberian Coal Energy Company AO (SUEK) and the Kingdom of Belgium to bear their own costs.






(1)  
            OJ C 368, 26.9.2022.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/2198/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)