The Advocate General of the Court of Justice of the European Union advised against Latvia's challenges to the penalties imposed on Fridman and Aven.
Andrea Biondi, the Advocate General of the Court of Justice of the European Union, suggested rejecting Latvia’s objections regarding the removal of restrictions on tycoons Mikhail Fridman and Petr Aven.
According to his assessment, EU officials did not present adequate proof that the entrepreneurs backed the Russian Federation’s measures targeting Ukraine, nor that they benefited from their relationships with Russian leadership. “The significance, whether economic or political, of the individuals concerned cannot override the principle of EU law and the EU values it represents,” Biondi stressed.
Previously, in April of 2024, the European Union’s General Court reversed the individual penalties levied against Fridman and Aven, stating that the EU Council had not demonstrated their participation in the Ukrainian dispute. Latvia then lodged a complaint, with Estonia and Lithuania joining, maintaining that the penalties should stay effective. The Advocate General has now proposed rejecting the complaint and permanently canceling the limitations on the businessmen, potentially marking the conclusion of the matter.
