Judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 26 February 2015 — Sabbagh v Council

(Case T‑652/11)

Common foreign and security policy — Restrictive measures taken against Syria — Freezing of funds — Manifest error of assessment — Non-contractual liability

1.                     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 para. 24)

2.                     Judicial proceedings — Decision or regulation replacing the contested measure in the course of proceedings — Admissibility of new pleas — Limits — Hypothetical acts not yet adopted (Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 44(1)(c)) (see paras 27, 28)

3.                     European Union — Judicial review of the legality of the acts of the institutions — Restrictive measures against Syria — Ambit of the review (Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 47; Council Decision 2011/782/CFSP; Council Regulations No 1151/2011 and No 36/2012) (see paras 36, 37)

4.                     Actions for annulment — Judgment annulling a measure — Effects — Limitation by the Court — Restrictive measures against certain persons and entities in view of the situation in Syria — Risk of serious and irreversible undermining being caused to the effectiveness of any asset-freezing likely to be, in future, decided by the Council against the persons concerned by the annulled measure — Maintenance of the effects of the annulled decisions and regulations until expiry of the time-limit for an appeal or the dismissal thereof (Arts 264, second para., TFEU and 266 TFEU; Statute of the Court of Justice, Arts 56, first para., and 60, second para.; Council Decision 2011/782/CFSP; Council Regulations No 1151/2011 and No 36/2012) (see paras 52-58)

5.                     Non-contractual liability — Conditions — Unlawfulness — Damage — Causal link — One of the conditions not satisfied — Claim for compensation dismissed in its entirety (Art. 340, second para., TFEU) (see paras 63-68)

Re:

Firstly, annulment in part of Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1151/2011 of 14 November 2011 implementing Regulation (EU) No 442/2011 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria (OJ 2011 L 296, p. 3) and 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) and 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), in so far as the applicant’s name has been included in the lists of persons and entities to which those restrictive measures apply and, secondly, an action for damages seeking compensation for the harm allegedly suffered by the applicant.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Rejects as inadmissible the application for annulment of the Council Implementing Regulations later than the adoption 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;

2. Annuls, in so far as those acts concern Mr Bassam Sabbagh:

–        Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1151/2011 of 14 November 2011 implementing Regulation (EU) No 442/2011;

–        Council Decision 2011/782/CFSP of 1 December 2011 concerning restrictive measures against Syria and repealing Decision 2011/273/CFSP;

–        Regulation No 36/2012;

3. Orders the effects of the regulations annulled to be maintained with respect to Mr Sabbagh until the time-limit for an appeal has expired or, if an appeal is brought within that time-limit, until any dismissal of the appeal;

4. Dismisses the claim for compensation;

5. Orders the Council of the European Union to bear its own costs and to pay half of the costs incurred by Mr Sabbagh;

6. Orders Mr Sabbagh to bear half of his own costs.