Judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 15 September 2021 –
Ilunga Luyoyo v Council
(Case T‑101/20) (1)
(Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures adopted in view of the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Freezing of funds – Restriction on admission to the territory of the Member States – Retention of the applicant’s name on the lists of persons subject to restrictive measures – Obligation to state reasons – Right to be heard – Proof that inclusion and retention on the lists is well founded – Manifest error of assessment – Continuation of the factual and legal circumstances which led to the adoption of the restrictive measures – Right to private and family life – Presumption of innocence – Proportionality – Plea of illegality)
1. Acts of the institutions – Statement of reasons – Obligation – Scope – Restrictive measures directed against the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Freezing of funds of persons undermining the rule of law or contributing to the commission of acts that constitute serious human rights violations – Minimum requirements
(Art. 296, second para., TFEU; Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2019/2109, Art. 7(2); Council Regulation No 1183/2005, Art. 9(3))
(see paras 53, 55-58)
2. Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures directed against the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Freezing of funds of persons undermining the rule of law or contributing to the commission of acts that constitute serious human rights violations – Obligation to identify in the statement of reasons individual and specific reasons justifying such measures – Decision falling within a context known to the person concerned, enabling him or her to understand the scope of the measure taken against him or her
(Art. 296 TFEU; Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2019/2109, Annex II; Council Regulations No 1183/2005 and No 2019/2101, Annex)
(see paras 54, 60-65, 67)
3. EU law – Principles – Rights of the defence – Right to effective judicial protection – Restrictive measures directed against the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Freezing of funds of persons undermining the rule of law or contributing to the commission of acts that constitute serious human rights violations – Obligation to disclose individual and specific grounds for the decisions adopted – Obligation to enable the person concerned effectively to put forward his or her point of view regarding the reasons relied on against him or her – Scope
(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 41(2)(a); Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2019/2109, Annex II; Council Regulations No 1183/2005 and No 2019/2101, Annex)
(see paras 76-78)
4. Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures directed against the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Freezing of funds – Rights of the defence – Notification of inculpatory evidence – Subsequent decision maintaining the name of the applicant on the list of persons covered by those measures – Disclosure by the Council to the person concerned of new evidence taken into account during the periodic review of the restrictive measures – Infringement of the right to be heard – None
(Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2019/2109, Arts 7(3) and 9(2) and (3), and Annex II; Council Regulations No 1183/2005 and No 2019/2101, Annex)
(see paras 79-82, 86-97, 100, 110)
5. EU law – Principles – Rights of the defence – Right to be heard – Obligation on the institutions to adhere to the point of view of the parties concerned – None
(see para. 103)
6. European Union – Judicial review of the legality of the acts of the institutions – Restrictive measures directed against the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Scope of the review – Restricted review for general rules – Review extending to the assessment of the facts and verification of the evidence
(Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2019/2109, Art. 3(2)(b), and Annex II; Council Regulations No 1183/2005, Art. 2b(1)(b), and No 2019/2101, Annex)
(see paras 124, 125, 129, 132, 137, 140, 141, 143)
7. European Union – Judicial review of the legality of the acts of the institutions – Restrictive measures directed against the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Scope of the review – Inclusion of the applicant’s name on the list annexed to the contested decision by reason of his or her office – Publicly available documents establishing serious human rights violations – Probative value
(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 47; Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2019/2109, Annex II; Council Regulations No 1183/2005 and No 2019/2101, Annex)
(see paras 148-150, 156-160)
8. Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures directed against the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Freezing of funds of persons undermining the rule of law or contributing to the commission of acts that constitute serious human rights violations – Criteria – Roles conferring responsibility for the repression of the civil population or compliance with the rule of law – Error of assessment – None
(Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2016/2231 and (CFSP) 2019/2109, Art. 3(2)(b), and Annex II; Council Regulations No 1183/2005, Art. 2b(1)(b), and No 2019/2101, Annex)
(see paras 151, 153-155, 170-176)
9. Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures directed against the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Scope – Persons who have been involved in planning, directing, or committing acts that constitute serious human rights violations or abuses – Meaning – Persons who have committed those acts in the past, notwithstanding the lack of evidence establishing current involvement or participation in such acts – Included
(Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2016/2231 and (CFSP) 2019/2109, Art. 3(2)(b), and Annex II; Council Regulations No 1183/2005, Art. 2b(1)(b), and No 2019/2101, Annex)
(see para. 167)
10. Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures directed against the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Prohibition of the entry and transit, and freezing of funds, of persons undermining the rule of law or contributing to the commission of acts that constitute serious human rights violations – Restriction on the right to respect for private and family life – Breach of principle of proportionality – None
(Arts 21(2)(b) and (c) and 29 TEU; Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Arts 7 and 52(1); Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2019/2109, Art. 4(1), (2) and (7), and Annex II; Council Regulations No 1183/2005 and No 2019/2101, Annex)
(see paras 179-185)
11. EU law – Principles – Fundamental rights – Presumption of innocence – Decision to freeze funds taken against certain persons and entities in view of the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Compatibility with that principle – Conditions
(Art. 29 TEU; Art. 215(1) and (2) TFEU; Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2019/2109; Council Regulations No 1183/2005, Art. 9(2) and (4), and No 2019/2101, Annex)
(see paras 186-190)
12. European Union – Judicial review of the legality of the acts of the institutions – Restrictive measures directed against the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Scope of the review – Restricted review for general rules – Criteria for adopting restrictive measures – Involvement in planning, directing or committing acts that constitute serious human rights violations – Scope – Observance of the principle of proportionality
(Art. 275, second para., TFEU; Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2019/2109, Art. 5(5); Council Regulations No 1183/2005 and No 2019/2101, Annex)
(see paras 198, 210-214)
13. European Union – Judicial review of the legality of the acts of the institutions – Restrictive measures directed against the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Scope of the review – Restricted review for general rules – Criteria for adopting restrictive measures – Involvement in planning, directing or committing acts that constitute serious human rights violations – Scope – Compliance with the principle of legal certainty requiring clarity, precision and foreseeability of the effects of legal rules
(Arts 3(5) and 21(2)(b) and (c) TEU; Art. 275, second para., TFEU; Council Decisions 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2019/2109, Art. 3(2)(b), and (CFSP) 2016/2231, recitals 3 and 4; Council Regulations No 1183/2005 and No 2019/2101)
(see paras 199, 201-207)
Operative part
The Court:
2. | | Orders Mr Ferdinand Ilunga Luyoyo to pay the costs. |