Judgment of the General Court of 16 July 2014 — National Iranian Oil Company v Council
(Case T-578/12) 1
(Common foreign and security policy — Restrictive measures adopted against Iran with the aim of preventing nuclear proliferation — Freezing of funds — Action for annulment — Infra-State body — Standing to bring proceedings — Admissibility — Obligation to state reasons — Indication and choice of legal basis — Powers of the Council — Principle of foreseeability of European Union acts — Meaning of providing support to nuclear proliferation — Manifest error of assessment — Rights of the defence and right to effective judicial protection — Proportionality — Right to property)
Language of the case: French
Parties
Applicant: National Iranian Oil Company (Tehran, Iran) (represented by: J.-M. Thouvenin, lawyer)
Defendant: Council of the European Union (represented by: V. Piessevaux and M. Bishop, agents)
Intervener in support of the defendant: European Commission (represented by: A. Aresu and M. Konstantinidis, agents)
Re:
Annulment of Council Decision 2012/635/CFSP of 15 October 2012 amending Decision 2010/413/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Iran (OJ 2012 L 282, p. 58) and Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 945/2012 of 15 October 2012 implementing Regulation (EU) No 267/2012 concerning restrictive measures against Iran (OJ 2012 L 282, p. 16).
Operative part of the judgment
The Court:
Dismisses the action;
Orders National Iranian Oil Company to bear its own costs and to pay the costs of the Council of the European Union;
Orders the European Commission to bear its own costs.
________________________1 OJ C 79, 16.3.2013.