Case T-102/23: Judgment of the General Court of 30 April 2025 – SBK Art 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 – Inclusion and maintenance of the applicant’s name on the list – Concept of association – Article 2(1), in fine, of Decision 2014/145/CFSP – Article 3(1), in fine, of Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 – Obligation to state reasons – Rights of the defence – Error of assessment – Proportionality – Plea of illegality)
Date: 2025-04-30
Institutions: General Court
Subjects: EU restrictive measure, Russia, Russo-Ukrainian issue, Ukraine, economic sanctions, freezing of assets, international sanctions, legal person, principle of proportionality, rights of the defence








C_202503043EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2025/3043


10.6.2025






Judgment of the General Court of 30 April 2025 – SBK Art v Council


(Case T-102/23)
                (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 - Inclusion and maintenance of the applicant’s name on the list - Concept of ‘association’ - Article 2(1), in fine, of Decision 2014/145/CFSP - Article 3(1), in fine, of Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 - Obligation to state reasons - Rights of the defence - Error of assessment - Proportionality - Plea of illegality)
(C/2025/3043)
Language of the case: English

Parties


Applicant: SBK Art OOO (Moscow, Russia) (represented by: G. Lansky and P. Goeth, lawyers)

Defendant: Council of the European Union (represented by: A. Boggio-Tomasaz, acting as Agent, and by B. Maingain, lawyer)

Interveners in support of the defendant: Republic of Croatia (represented by: G. Vidović Mesarek, acting as Agent), Kingdom of the Netherlands (represented by: M. Bulterman, A. Hanje and C. Schillemans, acting as Agents), European Commission (represented by: M. Carpus Carcea, C. Georgieva and L. Puccio, acting as Agents)

Re:

By its action under Article 263 TFEU, the applicant seeks annulment of (i) Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/2477 of 16 December 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 322 I, p. 466) and Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/2476 of 16 December 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 322 I, p. 318); (ii) 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 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); (iii) 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 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); (iv) 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 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 all of those acts concern the applicant.

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:






1.


Dismisses the action;










2.


Orders SBK Art OOO to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by the Council of the European Union, including the costs relating to the proceedings for interim measures;










3.


Orders the Republic of Croatia, the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the European Commission to bear their own costs.






(1)  
            OJ C 134, 17.4.2023.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/3043/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)