Judgment of the General Court (First Chamber) of 23 September 2014 — Mikhalchanka v Council

(Joined Cases T‑196/11 and T‑542/12)

Common foreign and security policy — Restrictive measures taken against Belarus — Freezing of funds and economic resources — Restrictions on the entry into and transit through the European Union — Inclusion and retention of the applicant’s name on the list of persons concerned — Journalist — Action for annulment — Time-limit for instituting proceedings — Partial inadmissibility — Rights of the defence — Obligation to state reasons — Error of assessment

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 (Arts 263, fourth and sixth paras, TFEU and 275, second para., TFEU; Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 102; Council Decisions 2011/69/CFSP, 2011/174/CFSP and 2012/642/CFSP; Council Regulations No 84/2011, No 271/2011 and No 1017/2012) (see paras 46-49)

2.                     Common foreign and security policy — Restrictive measures against Belarus — Freezing of funds — Rights of defence — Disclosure of inculpatory evidence — Subsequent decision maintaining the name of the applicant on the list of persons covered by those measures — That decision based on new factors not appearing in the initial decision — Infringement of the right to be heard (Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 41(2)(a); Council Decision 2012/642/CFSP; Council Regulation No 1017/2012) (see paras 65-76)

3.                     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 Belarus — Minimum requirements (Art. 296 TFEU; Council Decisions 2011/69/CFSP and 2011/174/CFSP; Council Regulation No 271/2011) (see paras 90-94, 102)

4.                     European Union — Judicial review of the legality of the acts of the institutions — Restrictive measures against Belarus — Freezing of funds of certain persons and bodies in view of the situation in Belarus — Ambit of the review (Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 47; Council Decisions 2011/69/CFSP and 2011/174/CFSP; Council Regulation No 271/2011) (see paras 119-122)

Re:

APPLICATION, first, for annulment in part of Council Decision 2011/69/CFSP of 31 January 2011 amending Council Decision 2010/639/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against certain officials of Belarus (OJ 2011 L 28, p. 40), Council Regulation (EC) No 84/2011 of 31 January 2011 amending Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 concerning restrictive measures against President Lukashenko and certain officials of Belarus (OJ 2011 L 28, p. 17), Council Implementing Decision 2011/174/CFSP of 21 March 2011 implementing Decision 2010/639/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against certain officials of Belarus (OJ 2011 L 76, p. 72), Council Implementing Regulation (EC) No 271/2011 of 21 March 2011 implementing Article 8a(1) of Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 concerning restrictive measures against President Lukashenko and certain officials of Belarus (OJ 2011 L 76, p. 13), and, second, of Council Decision 2012/642/CFSP of 15 October 2012 concerning restrictive measures against Belarus (OJ 2012 L 285, p. 1), Council Regulation (EU) No 1014/2012 of 6 November 2012 amending Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 concerning restrictive measures in respect of Belarus (OJ 2012 L 307, p. 1) and Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1017/2012 of 6 November 2012 implementing Article 8a(1) of Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 concerning restrictive measures in respect of Belarus (OJ 2012 L 307, p. 7), in so far as all of those acts concern the applicant.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Annuls, in so far as they concern Mr Mikhalchanka:

–      Council Decision 2011/69/CFSP of 31 January 2011 amending Council Decision 2010/639/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against certain officials of Belarus;

–      Council Implementing Decision 2011/174/CFSP of 21 March 2011 implementing Decision 2010/639/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against certain officials of Belarus;

–      Council Implementing Regulation (EC) No 271/2011 of 21 March 2011 implementing Article 8a(1) of Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 concerning restrictive measures against President Lukashenko and certain officials of Belarus;

–      Council Decision 2012/642/CFSP of 15 October 2012 concerning restrictive measures against Belarus;

–      Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1017/2012 of 6 November 2012 implementing Article 8a(1) of Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 concerning restrictive measures in respect of Belarus;

2. Dismisses the Council’s request to maintain the temporal effects of the contested acts;

3. Dismisses the remainder of the action;

4. Orders the Council to bear, in addition to its own costs, the costs incurred by Mr Mikhalchanka.