CJEU Lifts Sanctions Against Belshina

The decision appeared on the court's website.

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in Luxembourg lifted sanctions against the Belarusian state-owned enterprise Belshina imposed due to repression in the country. The decision was published on the court's website.

OJSC Belshina was included in the EU sanctions list on December 2, 2021, due to the ongoing repression in Belarus. The company was included in the list because it "is one of the leading state-owned companies in Belarus" and "a significant source of income for the Lukashenka regime." In addition, the inclusion in the sanctions list was influenced by the fact that the employees of Belshina, who went on strike in 2020, were dismissed, which means that the company "is responsible for repressions against civilians."

Like many other Belarusian enterprises, OJSC Belshina appealed the decision of the CJEU.

According to the court, the EU Council failed to prove that "Belshina" is a "significant source of income for the Lukashenka regime" and that the Belarusian state directly benefits from the income of the enterprise, since Belshina provided financial documents proving that before being included in the sanctions list it was a loss-making enterprise that did not bring profit.

As a result, the CJEU decided to lift the sanctions against the enterprise and obliged the EU Council to pay the court costs.