Judgment of the General Court (First Chamber) of 4 June 2014 —
Hemmati v Council

(Case T‑68/12)

Common foreign and security policy — Restrictive measures taken against Iran with the aim of preventing nuclear proliferation — Freezing of funds — Prohibition on entry or on transit — Action for annulment — Interest in bringing proceedings — Admissibility — Obligation to state reasons

1.                     Common foreign and security policy — Restrictive measures against Iran — Decision to freeze funds — Judicial review of the legality — Scope — Articles 19(1)(b), and 20(1)(b) of Decision 2010/413 — Not included (Art. 275 TFEU; Council Decision 2010/413/CFSP, Arts 19(1)(b), and 20(1)(b)) (see paras 31-33)

2.                     Actions for annulment — Natural or legal persons — Measures of direct and individual concern to them — Council Regulations adopted in the context of the Common Foreign and Security Policy and providing for restrictive measures against Iran — Acts not comprising implementing measures within the meaning of Article 263, fourth paragraph, TFEU — Person concerned not affected directly and individually — Inadmissibility (Arts 263, fourth para., TFEU and 275 TFEU; Council Regulation No 961/2010, Art. 16(2)) (see paras 34-36)

3.                     Acts of the institutions — Statement of reasons — Obligation — Scope — Restrictive measures against Iran — Freezing of funds of persons, entities or bodies engaged in or supporting nuclear proliferation (Art. 296, second para., TFEU; Council Decision 2010/413/CFSP, Art. 24(3); Council Regulation No 961/2010, Art. 36(3)) (see paras 50-54, 59, 60, 64, 65)

Re:

APPLICATION for annulment, first, of Council Decision 2011/783/CFSP of 1 December 2011 amending Decision 2010/413/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Iran (OJ 2011 L 319, p. 71), in so far as it included the applicant’s name in Annex II to 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), and of Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1245/2011 of 1 December 2011 implementing Regulation (EU) No 961/2010 on restrictive measures against Iran (OJ 2011 L 319, p. 11), in so far as it included the applicant’s name in Annex VIII to Council Regulation (EU) No 961/2010 of 25 October 2010 on restrictive measures against Iran and repealing Regulation (EC) No 423/2007 (OJ 2010 L 281, p. 1), and, secondly, of Article 16(2) of Regulation No 961/2010 and of Article 19(1)(b) and Article 20(1)(b) of Decision 2010/413, in so far as those provisions concern the applicant.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Dismisses the action as having been brought before a court that has no jurisdiction to hear it, in so far as it seeks annulment of Article 19(1)(b) and Article 20(1)(b) of Council Decision 2010/413/CFSP of 26 July 2010 concerning restrictive measures against Iran and repealing Common Position 2007/140/CFSP, and as being inadmissible, in so far as it seeks annulment of Article 16(2) of Council Regulation (EU) No 961/2010 of 25 October 2010 on restrictive measures against Iran and repealing Regulation (EC) No 423/2007;

2. Annuls Council Decision 2011/783/CFSP of 1 December 2011 amending Decision 2010/413, in so far as it included Mr Abdolnaser Hemmati’s name in Annex II to Decision 2010/413, and Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1245/2011 of 1 December 2011 implementing Regulation No 961/2010, in so far as it included Mr Hemmati’s name in Annex VIII to Regulation No 961/2010;

3. Orders the Council of the European Union to bear four fifths of its own costs and to pay four fifths of Mr Hemmati’s costs;

4. Orders Mr Hemmati to bear one fifth of his own costs and to pay one fifth of the Council’s costs.