Judgment of the General Court (Sixth Chamber) of 13 September 2013 —
Anbouba v Council

(Case T‑592/11)

Common foreign and security policy — Restrictive measures against Syria — Freezing of funds and economic resources — Presumption of innocence — Burden of proof — Manifest error of assessment — Rights of defence — Obligation to state reasons

1.                     Actions for annulment — Natural or legal persons — Measures of direct and individual concern to them (Art. 263, fourth para., TFEU) (see para. 26)

2.                     Judicial proceedings — Decision or regulation replacing the contested measure in the course of proceedings — New factor — Extension of the initial pleadings (Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 48(2)) (see paras 30, 31)

3.                     Actions for annulment — Actionable measures — Concept — Hypothetical acts not yet adopted — Not included (Art. 263 TFEU) (see paras 33, 34)

4.                     Judicial proceedings — Application initiating proceedings — Formal requirements — Brief summary of the pleas in law on which the application is based — Abstract statement — Inadmissibility — Reference to annexes as a whole — Inadmissibility (Statute of the Court of Justice, Art. 21; Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 44(1)(c)) (see paras 37, 72)

5.                     EU law — Principles — Fundamental rights — Presumption of innocence — Fund-freezing decision against certain persons and bodies in view of the situation in Syria — Compatibility with that principle — Conditions (Art. 6(1) TEU; Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 48(1); Council Decision 2011/273/CFSP, as amended by Decision 2011/522/CFSP; Council Regulation No 442/2011, as amended by Regulation No 878/2011, Art. 14(4)) (see para. 40)

6.                     Common foreign and security policy — Specific restrictive measures against certain persons and bodies in view of the situation in Syria — Decision to freeze funds — Evidence — Recourse to presumptions — Lawfulness — Rebuttable — No infringement of the rights of the defence (Art. 6(1) TEU; Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 41(2)(a); Council Decision 2011/273/CFSP, as amended by Decision 2011/522/CFSP, Art. 5; Council Regulation No 442/2011, as amended by Regulation No 878/2011, Art. 14(2) and (4)) (see paras 45-48, 50-52)

7.                     Judicial proceedings — Producing evidence — Time-limit — Evidence lodged out of time — Conditions (Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Arts 44(1)(c), and 48(1)) (see paras 59, 60)

8.                     EU law — Principles — Rights of defence — Right to effective judicial protection — Restrictive measures against Syria — Freezing of funds of certain persons and bodies in view of the situation in Syria — Obligation to disclose incriminating evidence — Scope (Art. 6(1) TEU; Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Arts 41(2)(a), and 47; Council Decision 2011/273/CFSP, as amended by Decision 2011/522/CFSP, Art. 5; Council Regulation No 442/2011, as amended by Regulation No 878/2011, Art. 14(2)) (see paras 80-82, 86-88)

9.                     Actions for annulment — Pleas in law — Lack of or inadequate statement of reasons — Plea distinct from that of the lawfulness of the contested decision (Arts 263 and 296 TFEU) (see para. 93)

10.                     Acts of the institutions — Statement of reasons — Obligation — Scope — Restrictive measures against Syria — Freezing of funds of persons, entities or bodies in view of the situation in Syria — Decision falling within a context known to the person concerned, enabling him to understand the scope of the measure taken in his regard — Admissibility of a summary statement of reasons (Art. 296 TFEU; Council Decision 2011/273/CFSP, as amended by Decision 2011/522/CFSP; Council Regulation No 442/2011, as amended by Regulation No 878/2011) (see paras 95-97)

Re:

First, application for annulment of Council Decision 2011/684/CFSP of 13 October 2011 amending Decision 2011/273/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Syria (OJ 2011 L 269, p. 33), of Council Decision 2011/782/CFSP of 1 December 2011 concerning restrictive measures against Syria and repealing Decision 2011/273/CFSP (OJ 2011 L 319, p. 56), of Council Regulation (EU) No 1011/2011 of 13 October 2011 amending Regulation (EU) No 442/2011 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria (OJ 2011 L 269, p. 18), of Council Regulation (EU) No 36/2012 of 18 January 2012 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria and repealing Regulation (EU) No 442/2011 (OJ 2012 L 16, p. 1), and of Council Implementing Regulation No 410/2012 of 14 May 2012 Implementing Article 32(1) of Regulation No 36/2012 (OJ 2012 L 126, p. 3) in so far as the applicant is named in the list of persons subject to the restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria, and, second, application for payment of compensation for damage suffered.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Dismisses the application;

2. Orders Mr Issam Anbouba to pay his own costs.