Judgment of the General Court (First Chamber) of 12 May 2015 —
Ternavsky v Council

(Case T‑163/12)

Common foreign and security policy — Restrictive measures against Belarus — Freezing of funds — Restrictions on entry into and transit through the territory of the European Union — Error of assessment

1.                     Acts of the institutions — Statement of reasons — Obligation — Scope — Restrictive measures against Belarus — Freezing of funds of certain persons and bodies in view of the situation in Belarus — Minimum requirements (Art. 296 TFEU; Council Decisions 2012/171/CFSP, 2013/534/CFSP and 2014/24/CFSP; Council Regulations No 265/2012, No 1054/2013 and No 46/2014) (see paras 50-55)

2.                     Actions for annulment — Grounds — Infringement of essential procedural requirements — Obligation to state reasons — Separate ground from the one concerning substantive legality (Art. 263, second para., TFEU) (see paras 64, 65)

3.                     European Union — Judicial review of the legality of the acts of the institutions — Restrictive measures against Belarus — Freezing of funds and restrictions on entry into and transit through the territory of the European Union — Ambit of the review (Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 47; Council Decisions 2012/171/CFSP, 2013/534/CFSP and 2014/24/CFSP; Council Regulations No 265/2012, No 1054/2013 and No 46/2014) (see paras 69-73, 104, 124)

Re:

ACTION for annulment of Council Implementing Decision 2012/171/CFSP of 23 March 2012 implementing Decision 2010/639/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Belarus (OJ 2012 L 87, p. 95), of Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 265/2012 of 23 March 2012 implementing Article 8a(1) of Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 concerning restrictive measures in respect of Belarus (OJ 2012 L 87, p. 37), of Council Decision 2013/534/CFSP of 29 October 2013 amending Decision 2012/642/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Belarus (OJ 2013 L 288, p. 69), of Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1054/2013 of 29 October 2013 implementing Article 8a(1) of Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 concerning restrictive measures in respect of Belarus (OJ 2013 L 288, p. 1), of Council Implementing Decision 2014/24/CFSP of 20 January 2014 implementing Decision 2012/642/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Belarus (OJ 2014 L 16, p. 32), and of Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 46/2014 of 20 January 2014 implementing Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 concerning restrictive measures in respect of Belarus (OJ 2014 L 16, p. 3) in so far as they concern the applicant.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Annuls Council Implementing Decision 2012/171/CFSP of 23 March 2012 implementing Decision 2010/639/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Belarus, Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 265/2012 of 23 March 2012 implementing Article 8a(1) of Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 concerning restrictive measures in respect of Belarus, Council Decision 2013/534/CFSP of 29 October 2013 amending Decision 2012/642/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Belarus, and Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1054/2013 of 29 October 2013 implementing Article 8a(1) of Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 concerning restrictive measures in respect of Belarus in so far as they concern Mr Anatoly Ternavsky;

2. Dismisses the action as to the remainder;

3. Orders the Council of the European Union to bear its own costs and to pay one-half of those incurred by Mr Ternavsky in the present proceedings;

4. Orders Mr Ternavsky to bear the other half of his own costs in the present proceedings and to bear his own costs and pay those incurred by the Council in connection with the application for interim measures.