Challenging EU Sanctions

“EU sanctions” are known in EU law as “restrictive measures”, the purpose of which being “intended to bring a change of policy or activity by the targeted country, a part of that country, its government, entities or individuals. These sanctions can be efficiently challenged before European courts.

Restrictive measures are, according to the European External Action Service “a preventive and non-punitive instrument that should allow the EU to respond quickly to political developments or challenges”.
Such definition is not really in accordance with the recent practice, which show a clear intention to punish some personalities for having some links, supposedly close or not, with the Russian president.

EU’s competence to adopt the decision of imposing restrictive measures on third parties is the legacy of the practice of the Member States before the creation of the Union in 1993. Currently restrictive measures cover cases in which it has been decided to interrupt or reduce the Union’s economic relations with a third country (Article 215-1 of Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, hereinafter TFEU), or to impose some constraints on individuals (Article 215-2 TFEU).

Formally, restrictive measures are adopted through a decision taken within the framework of the European Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). They are then implemented within the framework of the Union according to its competences, which are intergovernmental in this field. Although unanimity is the rule, sanctions are subject to the discretionary power of the Council of the European Union.

Main measures applied to individuals are the freeze funds and financial assets, or to prohibit admission to the territory.

Speaking less legally, it is in the opinion of many lawyers – and even more, of course, of persons subject to sanctions – that all this legal framework looks like a criminal law without saying so openly, notably in view of circumventing the rules applicable to the latter. EU authorities will not lose their time to prove anything seriously. The burden of the proof is reversed, as the victim of such sanction will have to initiate some proceedings at General Court in Luxemburg. But it is worth the effort.

According to Article 263 of the TFEU, the action for annulment aims to have an act adopted by an institution and producing legal effects regarding third parties annulled. It may be brought within two months from the publication of the decision in the Official Journal of the EU.

This action is submitted thanks to a claim, which will launch proceedings according to the Rules of Procedure applicable in General Court. These rules state in particular very strict deadlines, the calculation of which being sometimes challenging. An appeal can be lodged to the Court of Justice of European Union.

Only certain categories of persons may bring such actions, and only certain actions are available against acts directly implementing restrictive measures within the Union. These are the Member States and the institutions of the Union, as well as the persons directly and individually affected by the contested restrictive measures. Third parties to the restrictive measures who are affected by them can only have access to the European Court indirectly.

The grounds for reviewing the legality of the act vary according to whether the institution that issued the act lacks competence, whether the act violates essential procedural requirements, whether the treaty or the rules governing its application have been violated, or whether the act is contrary to the law.

In any case, in addition to action for annulment, it is highly recommended to request a release separately, by written, to the Council.

Finally, it must be emphasized that in certain situations, an action for damages may be brought before the Court, when it appears that the “measures” were taken wrongfully. It enables individuals who have suffered damage to obtain compensation from of the institution that caused it.

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French, Belgian and Swiss business immigration & criminal lawyers

Our law firm was created in a spirit of innovation and with the desire to implement a distinctly modern approach to the practice of law. Lexial’s innovative geographical footprint allows the firm to serve customers in Brussels, Paris and Geneva dealing with European and international legal issues.

The firm focuses on specific areas of law. With Lexial, you are not a “number”, our team is voluntarily restricted in size because a customized relationship with our clients is a priority.

In addition to a selection of traditional legal services offered business and employment law, the firm has developed a specialized practice in international immigration law as well as in international criminal and political law. Lexial is every year classified as a leader among immigration lawyers and international criminal lawyers.

Thanks to its French and Belgian immigration lawyers, the firm possesses expertise in the area of international mobility in Belgium and France (especially French Talent Passport and Belgian Professional Card). We are also active in Switzerland.

Within this framework, we have developed strong relationships with Middle Eastern countries, in particular Gulf States (UAE, Kuwait and Qatar), Asia and North America.

The Firm applies the standard rules of ethics of European lawyers (CCBE).

WE DO NOT provide any legal opinion by telephone: please use our “on-line” consultation form.

Business immigration and criminal lawyers in France, Belgium and Switzerland

 

Créé en 2007 dans un esprit d’innovation et de modernité, Lexial est actif dans un nombre restreint de spécialités.

C’est tout d’abord en droit international et européen de l’immigration d’affaires que le cabinet s’est distingué compte tenu de l’expérience de ses avocats dans les domaines de la mobilité internationale, de l’immigration professionnelle et des problématiques propres à l’expatriation.

Le cabinet est à ce titre recommandé par différents organismes internationaux de référencement, mentionnés par ailleurs dans ce site.

Plus spécifiquement, nous conseillons nos clients en matière de permis de travail, de carte professionnelle pour indépendant, de permis de résidence et de nationalité dans les pays dans lesquels nous sommes présents.

Présent à Paris comme à Bruxelles depuis 2007, Lexial est depuis lors le cabinet de référence des Français de Belgique. Outre cette activité dominante, nous assistons les entreprises et les particuliers dans toutes les branches du droit des affaires, en droit du travail, ainsi qu’en droit pénal.

Ons advocatenkantoor werd opgericht met een innovatiegeest en de wens van een andere moderne aanpak van de rechtspraktijk in te voeren.

Het innovatieve geografische bedekkingsgebied van Lexial laat het kantoor toe, cliënten te bedienen van kantoren in Brussel, Parijs en Geneva, die met Europese en internationale rechtsaangelegenheden te doen hebben.

Het kantoor concentreert zich op een beperkt aantal deskundig rechtsvakken. Benevens de kleine selectie van traditionele rechtsdiensten die het voorstelt – strafrechtelijk, politiek, zaken- en tewerkstellingsrecht-, resulteerde de unieke aanpak van het kantoor in een enge scherpstelling op internationaal en Europees zakenimmigratierecht.

Het kantoor beschikt over erkende expertise op vlak van internationale mobiliteit, uitgewekenenzaken en beroepsimmigratie en kan aan cliënten raadgeven op specifieke materiën, m.i.v. werkvergunning, beroepskaart, nationaliteit en verblijftoelating in België, Frankrijk en Zwitserland.

Binnen dit raam ontwikkelden wij sterke betrekkingen met landen van het Midden-Oosten, in het bijzonder de Golfstaten (VAE en Qatar), maar eveneens met Azië en Rusland.

Наша компания была создана в духе новаторства и с желанием реализовать современный подход к юридической практике. Географическое положение офисов Lexial позволяет компании обслуживать клиентов в Брюсселе, Париже и Женеве по вопросам европейского и международного права. Компания сосредотачивает свою деятельность на ограниченных областяx права. В дополнении k более традиционным юридическим услугам – в уголовном, политическом, деловом и трудовом праве – компания развила со временем уникальный подход в облaсти миграции бизнеса на фоне европейского и международного законодательства. Компания обладает также большим опытом в области международной мобильности включая профессиональную иммиграцию, и может консультировать клиентов по конкретным вопросам, в том числе разрешение на работу, запрос на получение профессиональной карты, гражданства и вид на жительство в Бельгии, Франции и Швейцарии. В рамках нашей деятельности, мы разработали прочные партнерские отношения со странами Ближнего Востока, в частности государствами Персидского залива (ОАЭ и Катар), но и со странами Азии и России.

我们律师事务所的成立是以革新的精神和采用与众不同的现代途径来处理法律的业务.

Lexial 律师事务所革新的地理位置让我们在布鲁塞尔, 巴黎和日内瓦的办事处能为客户们提供各种在欧洲和国际上的合法服务。

我们的律师事务所是针对有限量的地区和专业领域加上少量选择性的传统法律业务如 : 刑事案件,政治,商业和劳工司法官司等。

公司独一的专长是针对 国际和欧洲的商业移民业务。公司具有处理国际流动性移民和职业移民的能力同时也能为客户提供各种有关的专业咨询,包括申请工卡,职业卡和在比利时,法国和瑞士申请公民和居留证等业务。

在这个工作框架内, 我们和中东的国家, 特别是海湾国家(阿联酋和卡塔尔)和亚洲, 俄罗斯等国家也发展了强大的业务关系。

تم إنشاء شركتنا القانونية بروح الابتكار مع الرغبة في تنفيذ نهج واضح وحديث لممارسة الأنشطة القانونية ‘لكزيال’ وموقعها الجغرافي المبتكر الذي يسمح للشركة لخدمة الزبائن من خلال المكاتب الموجودة في بروكسل وباريس وجنيف التي تتعامل مع المسائل القانونية الأوروبية والدولية تركز الشركة على عدد محدود من مجالات الخبرة القانونية. بالإضافة إلى مجموعة صغيرة من الخدمات القانونية التقليدية المقدمة – الجنائية والسياسية والتجارية وقانون العمل- فقد أدى نهج الشركة الفريد من نوعه في العمل إلى التركيز الدقيق على قانون هجرة الأعمال الأوروبي والدولي تمتلك الشركة الخبرة المؤكدة في مجال التحركية الدولية، وقضايا العمالة الوافدة والهجرة المهنية، كما يمكنها تقديم المشورة للزبائن في مسائل محددة بما في ذلك رخصة العمل، البطاقة المهنية، المواطنة والإقامة في بلجيكا وفرنسا وسويسرا في هذا الإطار، قمنا بتطوير علاقات قوية مع دول الشرق الأوسط، خاصة مع دول الخليج (الإمارات العربية المتحدة وقطر)، وأيضا مع آسيا وروسيا