This is a judgment of the General Court (First Chamber) of December 3, 2025, in Case T-1107/23, Elena Petrovna Timchenko v. Council of the European Union.
**Essence of the Act:**
The judgment concerns restrictive measures (sanctions) imposed by the EU against individuals and entities in response to actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence of Ukraine. The applicant, Elena Timchenko, challenged the Council’s decision to maintain her name on the lists of individuals subject to asset freezes and restrictions on admission to EU member states. The General Court dismissed her application.
**Structure and Main Provisions:**
The judgment addresses the applicant’s claims for the annulment of Council Decisions (PESC) 2023/1767 and 2024/847, as well as Council Implementing Regulations (EU) 2023/1765 and 2024/849, which prolonged the restrictive measures against her. She also sought compensation for the moral prejudice allegedly suffered due to these measures.
The judgment is structured as follows:
* **Background:** It outlines the initial listing of the applicant and the subsequent decisions to maintain her name on the sanctions lists.
* **Subject Matter of the Dispute:** It describes the specific acts (decisions and regulations) that the applicant is challenging.
* **Arguments of the Parties:** It summarizes the applicant’s arguments for annulment and compensation, as well as the Council’s and the European Commission’s counter-arguments.
* **Legal Analysis:** The Court examines the applicant’s claims, focusing on:
* Whether the Council violated her right to effective judicial protection and its obligation to state reasons for its decisions.
* Whether her right to be heard was respected.
* Whether the Council made an error in its assessment of the facts.
* Whether her fundamental rights as an EU citizen were violated (freedom of movement).
* Whether her property rights and right to private and family life were violated.
* Whether the principle of proportionality was respected.
* **Decision:** The Court rejects all of the applicant’s claims and dismisses the action in its entirety.
**Main Provisions and Changes:**
The key provision at stake is the Council’s justification for maintaining the applicant on the sanctions lists, specifically the criteria for being considered “associated with” individuals already subject to sanctions. The Council argued that Ms. Timchenko was associated with her husband, Gennady Timchenko, who was already sanctioned for his close ties to President Putin and his involvement in actions undermining Ukraine’s integrity.
The judgment clarifies the interpretation of the “associated with” criterion. The Court found that the Council had provided sufficient evidence to demonstrate that Ms. Timchenko was associated with her husband through their joint involvement in business activities, property ownership, and philanthropic foundations, particularly the Timchenko Foundation. The Court emphasized that the concept of “association” can be interpreted as any physical or legal person who has a connection, going beyond a family relationship, with a person who is subject to restrictive measures.
**Most Important Provisions for Use:**
The most important aspects of this judgment are:
* **Interpretation of “Associated With”:** The Court’s interpretation of this criterion provides guidance on how the EU applies sanctions to individuals connected to those directly involved in actions against Ukraine.
* **Burden of Proof:** The judgment reiterates that the Council bears the burden of proving the grounds for maintaining a person on the sanctions list, but it also acknowledges the difficulties in obtaining evidence in the context of the conflict in Ukraine.
* **Fundamental Rights:** The Court reaffirms that fundamental rights are not absolute and can be restricted in pursuit of legitimate objectives of general interest, such as the EU’s foreign policy goals.
* **Proportionality:** The judgment underscores the importance of proportionality in the application of sanctions, ensuring that the measures are appropriate and necessary to achieve the intended objectives.
**** This judgment is relevant to Ukraine because it concerns the EU’s sanctions regime imposed in response to actions undermining Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence. It affects individuals and entities associated with those actions, including family members of sanctioned individuals.
