1. 

Acts of the institutions – Statement of reasons – Obligation – Scope – Restrictive measures directed against the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Freezing of funds of persons undermining the rule of law or contributing to the commission of acts that constitute serious human rights violations – Minimum requirements

(Art. 296, second para., TFEU; Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2019/2109, Art. 7(2); Council Regulation No 1183/2005, Art. 9(3))

(see paras 53, 55-58)

2. 

Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures directed against the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Freezing of funds of persons undermining the rule of law or contributing to the commission of acts that constitute serious human rights violations – Obligation to identify in the statement of reasons individual and specific reasons justifying such measures – Decision falling within a context known to the person concerned, enabling him or her to understand the scope of the measure taken against him or her

(Art. 296 TFEU; Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2019/2109, Annex II; Council Regulations No 1183/2005 and No 2019/2101, Annex)

(see paras 54, 60-65, 67)

3. 

EU law – Principles – Rights of the defence – Right to effective judicial protection – Restrictive measures directed against the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Freezing of funds of persons undermining the rule of law or contributing to the commission of acts that constitute serious human rights violations – Obligation to disclose individual and specific grounds for the decisions adopted – Obligation to enable the person concerned effectively to put forward his or her point of view regarding the reasons relied on against him or her – Scope

(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 41(2)(a); Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2019/2109, Annex II; Council Regulations No 1183/2005 and No 2019/2101, Annex)

(see paras 76-78)

4. 

Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures directed against the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Freezing of funds – Rights of the defence – Notification of inculpatory evidence – Subsequent decision maintaining the name of the applicant on the list of persons covered by those measures – Disclosure by the Council to the person concerned of new evidence taken into account during the periodic review of the restrictive measures – Infringement of the right to be heard – None

(Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2019/2109, Arts 7(3) and 9(2) and (3), and Annex II; Council Regulations No 1183/2005 and No 2019/2101, Annex)

(see paras 79-82, 86-97, 100, 110)

5. 

EU law – Principles – Rights of the defence – Right to be heard – Obligation on the institutions to adhere to the point of view of the parties concerned – None

(see para. 103)

6. 

European Union – Judicial review of the legality of the acts of the institutions – Restrictive measures directed against the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Scope of the review – Restricted review for general rules – Review extending to the assessment of the facts and verification of the evidence

(Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2019/2109, Art. 3(2)(b), and Annex II; Council Regulations No 1183/2005, Art. 2b(1)(b), and No 2019/2101, Annex)

(see paras 124, 125, 129, 132, 137, 140, 141, 143)

7. 

European Union – Judicial review of the legality of the acts of the institutions – Restrictive measures directed against the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Scope of the review – Inclusion of the applicant’s name on the list annexed to the contested decision by reason of his or her office – Publicly available documents establishing serious human rights violations – Probative value

(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 47; Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2019/2109, Annex II; Council Regulations No 1183/2005 and No 2019/2101, Annex)

(see paras 148-150, 157-162)

8. 

Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures directed against the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Freezing of funds of persons undermining the rule of law or contributing to the commission of acts that constitute serious human rights violations – Criteria – Roles conferring responsibility for the repression of the civil population or compliance with the rule of law – Error of assessment – None

(Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2016/2231 and (CFSP) 2019/2109, Art. 3(2)(b), and Annex II; Council Regulations No 1183/2005, Art. 2b(1)(b), and No 2019/2101, Annex)

(see paras 151, 153-155, 172-177)

9. 

Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures directed against the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Scope – Persons who have been involved in planning, directing, or committing acts that constitute serious human rights violations or abuses – Meaning – Persons who have committed those acts in the past, notwithstanding the lack of evidence establishing current involvement or participation in such acts – Included

(Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2016/2231 and (CFSP) 2019/2109, Art. 3(2)(b), and Annex II; Council Regulations No 1183/2005, Art. 2b(1)(b), and No 2019/2101, Annex)

(see para. 169)

10. 

Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures directed against the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Prohibition of the entry and transit, and freezing of funds, of persons undermining the rule of law or contributing to the commission of acts that constitute serious human rights violations – Restriction on the right to respect for private and family life – Breach of principle of proportionality – None

(Arts 21(2)(b) and (c) and 29 TEU; Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Arts 7 and 52(1); Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2019/2109, Art. 4(1), (2) and (7), and Annex II; Council Regulations No 1183/2005 and No 2019/2101, Annex)

(see paras 181-187)

11. 

EU law – Principles – Fundamental rights – Presumption of innocence – Decision to freeze funds taken against certain persons and entities in view of the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Compatibility with that principle – Conditions

(Art. 29 TEU; Art. 215(1) and (2) TFEU; Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2019/2109; Council Regulations No 1183/2005, Art. 9(2) and (4), and No 2019/2101, Annex)

(see paras 188-192)

12. 

European Union – Judicial review of the legality of the acts of the institutions – Restrictive measures directed against the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Scope of the review – Restricted review for general rules – Criteria for adopting restrictive measures – Involvement in planning, directing or committing acts that constitute serious human rights violations – Scope – Observance of the principle of proportionality

(Art. 275, second para., TFEU; Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2019/2109, Art. 5(5); Council Regulations No 1183/2005 and No 2019/2101, Annex)

(see paras 200, 212-216)

13. 

European Union – Judicial review of the legality of the acts of the institutions – Restrictive measures directed against the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Scope of the review – Restricted review for general rules – Criteria for adopting restrictive measures – Involvement in planning, directing or committing acts that constitute serious human rights violations – Scope – Compliance with the principle of legal certainty requiring clarity, precision and foreseeability of the effects of legal rules

(Arts 3(5) and 21(2)(b) and (c) TEU; Art. 275, second para., TFEU; Council Decisions 2010/788/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2019/2109, Art. 3(2)(b), and (CFSP) 2016/2231, recitals 3 and 4; Council Regulations No 1183/2005 and No 2019/2101)

(see paras 201, 203-209)

1. 

Dismisses the action;

2. 

Orders Mr Évariste Boshab to pay the costs.