Syria’s Cham Wings Airlines brings legal challenge to EU sanctions

The Official Journal of the European Union has published details of a legal challenge filed by Syria-based Cham Wings Airlines LLC against EU sanctions, alleging that the Council ‘made a manifest error in assessing the facts by considering that the applicant was “benefitting from, and providing support to the Syrian regime.”’

The publication, dated 7 October 2024, reveals that Cham Wings Airlines initiated legal proceedings on 7 August 2024, contesting restrictive measures imposed by the European Union in response to the ongoing situation in Syria. The case, registered as T-415/24 at the General Court of the European Union, specifically targets two EU acts: Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/1510 and Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1517, both enacted on 27 May 2024.

In addition to the primary allegation of factual misjudgment, the airline presents two further arguments in its legal challenge: It claims that the sanctions violate the general principle of proportionality, suggesting that the measures taken against the company may be excessive or unjustified; it also contends that the Council failed to fulfill its obligation to provide adequate reasoning for the sanctions, as mandated by Article 296(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (‘TFEU’).

The airline is seeking not only the annulment of sanctions, it is also demanding that the Council bear all legal costs associated with the proceedings.

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=OJ%3AC_202405834