Case T-491/25: Action brought on 8 July 2025 – Petrov v Council
Date: 2025-07-08
Institutions: General Court
Subjects: EU restrictive measure, European citizenship, Moldova, damages, economic sanctions, fundamental rights, international sanctions, natural person, principle of proportionality, rule of law








C_202505352EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2025/5352


13.10.2025






Action brought on 8 July 2025 – Petrov v Council


(Case T-491/25)

(C/2025/5352)
Language of the case: French

Parties


Applicant: Victor Petrov (Comrat, Moldova) (represented by: T. Bontinck, L. Marchal, lawyers, and C. Zatschler, Senior Counsel)

Defendant: Council of the European Union

Form of order sought

The applicant claims that the Court should:






—


declare Decision (CFSP) 2023/891 (1) and Regulation (EU) 2023/888 (2) to be inapplicable to the applicant under Article 277 TFEU;










—


annul Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/824 of 25 April 2025
                   (3) in so far as it maintains the applicant’s name in entry 11 of the annex to that decision;










—


annul Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/817 of 25 April 2025
                   (4) in so far as it maintains the applicant’s name in entry 11 of Annex I to that regulation;










—


order the Council to pay EUR 100 000 on a provisional basis as compensation for the non-material damage suffered by the applicant;










—


order the Council to pay the costs.





Pleas in law and main arguments

In support of the action, the applicant relies on five pleas in law.






1.


First plea in law, alleging that Decision (CFSP) 2023/891 and Regulation (EU) 2023/888 are unlawful. Decision (CFSP) 2023/891 and Regulation (EU) 2023/888, which purport to lay down the criteria on the basis of which the applicant’s name was included on the list at issue, are unlawful and, therefore, must be declared inapplicable under Article 277 TFEU. In support of that plea of illegality, the applicant puts forward a first complaint, alleging infringement of Articles 2, 8 and 21(1) TEU and of the principle of proportionality, giving rise to a manifest error of assessment as regards the actual objective pursued by the contested acts in the light of their natural and foreseeable consequences and/or to a failure to state reasons. The applicant puts forward a second complaint concerning the means used by the Council.










2.


Second plea in law, alleging infringement of essential procedural requirements. The applicant claims that the evidence files, which served as the factual basis for the Council’s decision to include his name on the list at issue, are inaccurate and incomplete in several respects. The Council was therefore unable to take all the relevant information into account, with the result that it was impossible for it to adopt an impartial and fair decision in breach of Article 41(1) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.










3.


Third plea in law, alleging that the Council made an error of assessment. The applicant argues that the Council made an error of assessment in finding that the criteria relied on against the applicant were fulfilled.










4.


Fourth plea in law, alleging breach of the principle of proportionality and of fundamental rights. By taking the restrictive measures against the applicant, the Council failed to observe the principle of proportionality and unreasonably interfered with his fundamental rights.










5.


Fifth plea in law, alleging breach of the rights attaching to citizenship of the Union. The restrictive measures also entail, inter alia, a prohibition on entry into and transit through the territories of the Member States, which deprives the applicant of full enjoyment of the rights conferred on him, in particular by Article 21 TFEU.






(1)  Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/891 of 28 April 2023 concerning restrictive measures in view of actions destabilising the Republic of Moldova (OJ 2023 L 114, p. 15).

(2)  Council Regulation (EU) 2023/888 of 28 April 2023 concerning restrictive measures in view of actions destabilising the Republic of Moldova (OJ 2023 L 114, p. 1).

(3)  Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/824 of 25 April 2025 amending Decision (CFSP) 2023/891 concerning restrictive measures in view of actions destabilising the Republic of Moldova (OJ L, 2025/824).

(4)  Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/817 of 25 April 2025 implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/888 concerning restrictive measures in view of actions destabilising the Republic of Moldova (OJ L, 2025/817).


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/5352/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)