Luxembourg, 30 March 2022
Order of the President of the General Court in Case T-125/22 R RT France/Conseil
“Military operation in Ukraine”: the President of the General Court rejects RT France’s request to suspend the sanctions adopted by the Council (request for interim measures)
On February 24, 2022, the Russian Federation began a “military operation” in Ukraine.
By acts of March 1, 2022, the Council of the European Union introduced a series of measures to suspend the broadcasting activities of certain media, in particular RT France, in the Union or towards the Union. According to the Council, the Russian Federation carried out propaganda actions targeting members of civil society in the Union and its neighbours, seriously distorting and manipulating the facts, having used, for this purpose, as channels the media placed under the control of Russian leaders.
RT France brought an action for annulment of the acts of the Council before the General Court of the European Union. It also filed an application for interim measures to obtain a stay of execution of the latter.
By today’s order, the President of the General Court rejects RT France’s request for interim measures.
The President of the General Court concludes that the condition relating to urgency is not established and further adds that, in the event that RT France wins its case by annulling the contested acts in the proceedings on the merits, the damage suffered by the harm to its interests may be assessed, so that the damage possibly suffered may be the subject of repair or subsequent compensation.
Finally, the President of the General Court specifies that, given the exceptional circumstances in question, the trial judge has decided to rule according to an accelerated procedure, so that RT France will obtain the response to its request for annulment as soon as possible.
The General Court will deliver its final judgment on the merits of this case at a later date. An order on interim measures does not prejudge the outcome of the main action. An appeal, limited to questions of law, may be brought before the President of the Court against the decision of the President of the General Court within two months of its notification.
You can read and download the French version of the release, below:
Source – EU General Court