Judgment of the General Court (Third Chamber) of 24 September 2014 — Kadhaf Al Dam v Council

(Case T‑348/13)

Common foreign and security policy — Restrictive measures taken in view of the situation in Libya — Freezing of funds and economic resources — Obligation to state reasons — Manifest error of assessment — Temporal adjustment of the effects of annulment — Non-contractual liability

1.                     Actions for annulment — Time-limits — Point from which time starts to run — Measure entailing restrictive measures against a person or body — Measure published and notified to the addressees — Date of notification of the measure — Notification to the person concerned by means of a publication in the Official Journal of the European Union — Lawfulness (Arts 263, fourth and sixth paras, TFEU and 275, second para., TFEU; Council Decisions 2011/137/CFSP and 2013/182/CFSP; Council Regulation No 204/2011) (see paras 25, 27-39)

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); Council Decision 2014/380/CFSP; Council Regulation No 689/2014) (see para. 40)

3.                     Acts of the institutions — Statement of reasons — Obligation — Scope — Restrictive measures in view of the situation in Libya — Decision falling within a context known to the person concerned — Whether a summary statement of reasons is sufficient — Individual, specific and concrete reasons for keeping the person concerned on the lists of persons subject to the said measures (Art. 296 TFEU; Council Decisions 2013/182/CFSP and 2014/380/CFSP; Council Regulation No 689/2014) (see paras 62-67, 70-78, 100-105)

4.                     Actions for annulment — Grounds — Lack of or inadequate statement of reasons — Separate ground from the one concerning substantive legality (Arts 263 TFEU and 296 TFEU) (see para. 68)

5.                     European Union — Judicial review of the legality of the acts of the institutions — Restrictive measures in view of the situation in Libya — Ambit of the review (Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 47; Council Decision 2013/182/CFSP and 2014/380/CFSP; Council Regulation No 689/2014) (see paras 79-85, 100-105)

6.                     Actions for annulment — Judgment annulling a measure — Effects — Limitation by the Court — Restrictive measures in view of the situation in Libya — Risk that the effectiveness of any freezing of assets likely to be decided by the Council in the future against the persons concerned by the annulled measures might be seriously and irreversibly undermined — Maintenance of the effects of the annulled measures until the expiry of the deadline for lodging an appeal or until the dismissal thereof (Art. 264, second para., TFEU ; Statute of the Court of Justice, Art. 60, second para.; Council Decisions 2013/182/CFSP and 2014/380/CFSP; Council Regulation No 689/2014) (see paras 106-109)

7.                     Non-contractual liability — Conditions — Unlawfulness — Damage — Causal link — Burden of proof — One of the conditions not satisfied — Claim for compensation dismissed in its entirety (Art. 340, second para., TFEU) (see paras 112, 113)

Re:

First, action for partial annulment of Council Decision 2011/137/CFSP of 28 February 2011 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Libya (OJ 2011 L 58, p. 53), Council Regulation (EU) No 204/2011 of 2 March 2011 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Libya (OJ 2011 L 58, p. 1), Council Decision 2013/182/CFSP of 22 April 2013 amending Decision 2011/137/CFSP (OJ 2013 L 111, p. 50), Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 689/2014 of 23 June 2014 implementing Article 16(2) of Regulation (EU) No 204/2011 (OJ 2014 L 183, p. 1) and of Council Decision 2014/380/CFSP of 23 June 2014 amending Decision 2011/137/CFSP (OJ 2014 L 183, p. 52), in so far as those acts cover the applicant and, second, a claim for damages.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Annuls Council Decisions 2013/182/CFSP of 22 April 2013 and 2014/380/CFSP of 23 June 2014 amending Decision 2011/137/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Libya in so far as it retains the name of Mr Ahmed Mohammed Kadhaf Al Dam on the lists contained in Annexes II and IV to Council Decision 2011/137/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Libya;

2. Annuls Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 689/2014 of 23 June 2014 implementing Article 16(2) of Regulation (EU) No 204/2011 in so far as it retains the name of Mr Kadhaf Al Dam on the list contained in Annex III to Regulation (EU) No 204/2011 of 2 March 2011 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Libya;

3. Declares that the effects of Decision 2013/182, Decision 2014/380 and Implementing Regulation No 689/2014 shall be maintained in respect of Mr Kadhaf Al Dam until the expiry of the period for bringing an appeal against the present judgment or, if an appeal is lodged during that period, until the Court of Justice’s decision;

4. Dismisses the remainder of the action;

5. Orders Mr Kadhaf Al Dam to bear, in addition to his own costs, the costs incurred by the Council in connection with his claim for damages;

6. Orders the Council to bear, in addition to its own costs, the costs incurred by Mr Kadhaf Al Dam in connection with the action for annulment.