Gerard Hogan asserts that the Venezuelan authorities were entitled to appeal the annulment of these EU measures
The General Counsel of the Court of Justice of the European Union (TEU) Gerard Hogan, assured this Wednesday, January 20, that Venezuela has the right to appeal the sanctions that were imposed by the regional bloc and believes that the General Court of the European entity must rectify the not admit the action brought by our nation against the coercive measures adopted by the European Council in 2017.
In Hogan’s opinion, the Venezuelan authorities were entitled to appeal the annulment of these measures because they understood that it can be considered as a legal person, taking into account what international law means.
“A third State may have standing to file an appeal requesting the annulment of the restrictive measures adopted against it by the Council” of the EU, said the lawyer, noting that the courts must be open to receive the appeals brought by other sovereign states.
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Therefore, it suggests that the case be returned to the General Court so that it may rule on all pending issues regarding admissibility raised in the annulment action filed by Venezuela.
The lawyer thus dissociates himself from the first instance opinion because he considers that “an error of law was committed by considering that the appeal was inadmissible because the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela lacked active standing.”
Although the conclusions of the Advocate General do not bind the Court of Justice of the regional bloc, they are taken into account in 80 percent of the cases.
The European Union (EU) decided to extend until November 2021 the sanctions against the Nicolás Maduro regime -which have been in force since 2017- due to the political, economic, social crisis and the complex humanitarian emergency that remains in the nation.
Through a statement, the EU reported that persistent actions against democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights are added to this situation. He specified that the extension of the measures takes effect on Friday, November 13, 2020.
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The sanctions adopted by the European Union include an embargo on arms and equipment for internal repression. Also the travel ban and the immobilization of assets to several people who hold official positions. They indicated that they are also responsible for human rights violations or for undermining democracy and the rule of law in Venezuela.
The high representative of the European Union, Josep Borrell, assured on January 19 that the bloc of 27 countries will maintain “the necessary calibrated and selective pressure” on the regime of Nicolás Maduro to achieve a democratic solution to the crisis in Venezuela.
During a presentation in the European Parliament, Borrell said that they will continue to dialogue “with all the actors” who are willing to work for the democratic restoration of the country, and especially “with Juan Guaidó and the representatives of the outgoing National Assembly, democratically elected in 2015 ».
With information from Europa Press
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