Court of Justice 4 June 2026, C-179/25 (Opinion of Advocate General Spielmann delivered on 4 June 2026.)

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In this Opinion in Case C-179/25 P (Tauber v Council), Advocate General Spielmann proposes that the Court of Justice set aside the General Court's judgment dismissing Ms Tauber's action for annulment of EU restrictive measures (travel ban and asset freeze) imposed on her in connection with actions destabilising the Republic of Moldova. The decisive legal issue concerns the correct interpretation of criterion (ii) of Article 1(1)(a) of Decision (CFSP) 2023/891, which requires proof of a material element—namely planning, directing, engaging in, supporting, or facilitating violent demonstrations or other acts of violence—and cannot be satisfied merely by establishing the existence of 'violent intentions' on the part of the listed person, as the General Court erroneously held. The Advocate General opines that, because the General Court failed to ascertain whether the demonstrations in question were themselves of a violent nature within the meaning of that criterion, the case should be referred back to the General Court for a fresh assessment of the facts.AI