Brussels, 08/09/2015 (Agence Europe) - The European Union was within its rights to impose sanctions on the Iranian Energy Ministry, freezing its assets, the General Court of the EU concluded in a ruling delivered on Tuesday 8 September (case C-564/14).
Freezing the ministry's funds is, therefore, in line with the objective of the restrictive measures on Iran, the Court ruled. The EU has deprived the Iranian government of some of its financial resources - this ministry collects the monies paid by the purchasers of exported electricity - used, among other things, for the country's nuclear programme.
In the agreement concluded in Vienna in July (see EUROPE 11359), the international community undertook to gradually lift the sanctions imposed on Iran. A number of EU sanctions have already been suspended and gradual lifting of the sanctions will begin after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reported that Iran is meeting its obligations. (Jan Kordys)