Judgment of the General Court of 4 September 2015 — NIOC and Others v Council
(Case T-577/12) 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 — Competence of the Council — Principle of foreseeability of European Union acts — Meaning of associated entity — Manifest error of assessment — Rights of defence — Right to effective judicial protection — Proportionality — Right to property)
Language of the case: French
Parties
Applicants: National Iranian Oil Company PTE Ltd (NIOC) (Singapore, Singapore); National Iranian Oil Company International Affairs Ltd (NIOC International Affairs) (London, United Kingdom); Iran Fuel Conservation Organization (IFCO) (Tehran, Iran); Karoon Oil & Gas Production Co. (Khouzestan, Iran); Petroleum Engineering & Development Co. (PEDEC) (Tehran); Khazar Exploration and Production Co. (KEPCO) (Tehran); National Iranian Drilling Co. (NIDC) (Khouzestan); South Zagros Oil & Gas Production Co. (Shiraz, Iran); Maroun Oil & Gas Co. (Ahwaz, Iran); Masjed-Soleyman Oil & Gas Co. (MOGC) (Khouzestan); Gachsaran Oil & Gas Co. (Ahmad, Iran); Aghajari Oil & Gas Production Co. (AOGPC) (Khouzestan); Arvandan Oil & Gas Co. (AOGC) (Khoramshar, Iran); West Oil & Gas Production Co. (Kermanshah, Iran); East Oil & Gas Production Co. (EOGPC) (Mashhad, Iran); Iranian Oil Terminals Co. (IOTC) (Tehran); and Pars Special Economic Energy Zone (PSEEZ) (Boushehr, Iran) (represented by: J.-M. Thouvenin, lawyer)
Defendant: European Council (represented by: V. Piessevaux and M. Bishop, acting as Agents)
Re:
First, an application for 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 of 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), in so far as those acts concern the applicants, and secondly, an application for a declaration of the inapplicability to the applicants of Article 20(1)(c) of Council Decision 2010/413/CFSP of 26 July 2010 concerning restrictive measures against Iran and repealing Common Position 2007/140/CFSP (OJ 2010 L 195, p. 39), as amended by Decision 2012/635, and of Article 23(2)(d) of Council Regulation (EU) No 267/2012 of 23 March 2012 concerning restrictive measures against Iran and repealing Regulation (EU) No 961/2010 (OJ 2012 L 88, p. 1).
Operative part of the judgment
The Court:
Dismisses the action;
Orders National Iranian Oil Company PTE Ltd (NIOC), National Iranian Oil Company International Affairs Ltd (NIOC International Affairs), Iran Fuel Conservation Organization (IFCO), Karoon Oil & Gas Production Co., Petroleum Engineering & Development Co. (PEDEC), Khazar Exploration and Production Co. (KEPCO), National Iranian Drilling Co. (NIDC), South Zagros Oil & Gas Production Co., Maroun Oil & Gas Co., Masjed-Soleyman Oil & Gas Co. (MOGC), Gachsaran Oil & Gas Co., Aghajari Oil & Gas Production Co. (AOGPC), Arvandan Oil & Gas Co. (AOGC), West Oil & Gas Production Co., East Oil & Gas Production Co. (EOGPC), Iranian Oil Terminals Co. (IOTC) and Pars Special Economic Energy Zone (PSEEZ) to bear their own costs and to pay those incurred by the Council of the European Union.
____________1 OJ C 79, 16.3.2013.