Judgment of the General Court of 4 February 2014 – Syrian Lebanese Commercial Bank v Council
(Joined Cases T-174/12 and T-80/13) 1
(Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures taken against Syria – Freezing of funds – Adaptation of the claim – Time-limit – Manifest error of assessment – Obligation to state reasons – Right to effective judicial protection – Rights of defence)
Language of the case: French
Parties
Applicant: Syrian Lebanese Commercial Bank SAL (Beirut, Lebanon) (represented by: P. Vanderveeren, L. Defalque and T. Bontinck, lawyers)
Defendant: Council of the European Union (represented by: G. Étienne and S. Cook, acting as Agents)
Re:
Application for annulation in part, firstly, of Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 55/2012 of 23 January 2012 implementing Article [32](1) of Regulation (EU) No 36/2012 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria (OJ 2012 L 19, p. 6); secondly, of Council Implementing Decision 2012/37/CFSP of 23 January 2012 implementing Decision 2011/782/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Syria (OJ 2012 L 19, p. 33); thirdly, Council Decision 2012/739/CFSP of 29 November 2012 concerning restrictive measures against Syria and repealing Decision 2011/782/CFSP (OJ 2012 L 330, p. 21); fourthly, Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1117/2012 of 29 November 2012 implementing Article 32(1) of Regulation (EU) No 36/2012 (OJ 2012 L 330, p. 9); fifthly, the ‘decision letters’ of the Council of 24 January 2012 and 30 November 2012 notifying the applicant of the restrictive measures affecting it; sixthly, Council Decision 2013/109/CFSP of 28 February 2013 amending Decision 2012/739/CFSP (OJ 2013 L 58, p. 8); seventhly, Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 363/2013 of 22 April 2013 implementing Regulation (EU) No 36/2012 (OJ 2013 L 111, p. 1); eighthly, Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP of 31 May 2013 concerning restrictive measures against Syria (OJ 2013 L 147, p. 14), in so far as those acts affect the applicant’s situation.
Operative part of the judgment
The Court:
Dismisses the actions;
Orders the Syrian Lebanese Commercial Bank SAL to pay the costs.
____________1 OJ C 184, 23.6.2012.