Case T-573/23: Judgment of the General Court of 10 September 2025 – Positive Group 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 – 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 lists – Definition of entities operating in the Russian IT sector with a license administered by the FSB – Article 2(1)(i) of Decision 2014/145/CFSP – Article 3(1)(i) of Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 – Plea of illegality – Error of assessment – Obligation to state reasons – Rights of the defence)
Date: 2025-09-10
Institutions: General Court
Subjects: EU restrictive measure, Russia, Russo-Ukrainian issue, Ukraine, economic sanctions, freezing of assets, information technology industry, international sanctions, legal person, rights of the defence








C_202505694EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2025/5694


3.11.2025






Judgment of the General Court of 10 September 2025 – Positive Group v Council


(Case T-573/23)
                (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 - 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 lists - Definition of ‘entities operating in the Russian IT sector with a license administered by the FSB’ - Article 2(1)(i) of Decision 2014/145/CFSP - Article 3(1)(i) of Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 - Plea of illegality - Error of assessment - Obligation to state reasons - Rights of the defence)
(C/2025/5694)
Language of the case: English

Parties


Applicant: Positive Group PAO (Moscow, Russia) (represented by: A. Beauchemin and W. Julié, lawyers)

Defendant: Council of the European Union (represented by: E. Nadbath, A. Boggio-Tomasaz and P. Mahnič, acting as Agents)

Intervener in support of the defendant: Kingdom of the Netherlands (represented by: M. Bulterman, C. Schillemans and E. Besselink, acting as Agents)

Re:

By its action under Article 263 TFEU, the applicant seeks annulment of (i) Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/1218 of 23 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 159 I, p. 526), and Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1216 of 23 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 159 I, p. 335); (ii) 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); (iii) 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); and (iv) Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/2456 of 12 September 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, 2024/2456) and of Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2455 of 12 September 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, 2024/2455), in so far as those sets of acts concern the applicant.

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:






1.


Dismisses the action;










2.


Orders Positive Group PAO to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by the Council of the European Union;










3.


Orders the Kingdom of the Netherlands to bear its own costs.






(1)  
            OJ C, C/2023/665, 13.11.2023.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/5694/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)