EU court annuls Council’s Pumpyanskiy sanctions decision again

The EU General Court has annulled EU Council decisions from September 2024 and March 2025 sanctioning Russian businessman Dmitry Pumpyanskiy, shortly before a rollover decision on sanctions is due from the body.

Pumpyanskiy is a long-term resident of Geneva who previously held positions in companies formerly owned by his father, Russian businessman Dmitry Pumpyanskiy.

He was originally included in sanctions lists on the basis of positions he held in his father’s companies, but is now listed under the EU’s 2023 amended sanctions criteria, which include “close family members who benefit from listed individuals”.

The General Court annulled the Council’s sanction decision in 2023, noting procedural flaws and insufficient justification since Pumpyanskiy had resigned from his corporate positions. The Council did not appeal the decision, but subsequently renewed its sanctions decision against Pumpyanskiy in mid-March this year.

The Court has once again rejected the Council’s reliance on historic corporate roles to establish present qualification under the listing criteria.

Judges held that the Council could not regard “the mere fact” that Pumpyanskiy held relevant executive positions a year before the sanctions decisions as sufficient to justify listing him as a person providing material or financial support to the Russian Government.

Court decision precedes Council sanctions rollover

The ruling landed days before the EU’s Russia sanctions are scheduled for rollover by the EU Council on 15 September 2025.

“Any active relisting on essentially the same record—after three General Court annulments—would raise serious rule-of-law concerns about the effectiveness of judicial oversight in EU sanctions and the protection of fundamental freedoms,” Pumpyanskiy’s lawyers told Euronews.

In April a source familiar with the issue told Euronews that the EU Council was mulling the EU General Court second annulment decision related to Pumpyanskiy and considering whether it needed to take action on it.

Pumpyanskiy’s lawyers have also brought a claim for damages before the General Court against the Council for alleged harm caused by the sanctions.

Speaking to Euronews earlier this year, Pumpyanskiy related his experience of sanctions.

“The first thing is that your finances are affected. The banks block your accounts. That’s the first stage; after that, other problems follow: you’re cut from all the basic services that everyone needs, especially mobile phones, domestic internet,  insurance, cars, etc., so, bit by bit, daily life became extremely complicated for me.”

 The Council has been approached for comment.