La sentenza del Tribunale dell’Unione Europea sulle sanzioni contro il Venezuela

This paper analyses the judgment adopted on 13 September 2023 by the General Court of the European Union in case T-15/18 RENV, Venezuela v. Council. By this judgment, the General Court rejected the claim brought by Venezuela for the annulment of the restrictive measures (sanctions) imposed by Regulation 2017/2063. The article focuses on the motivations adopted by the General Court in order to dismiss the allegation that unlawful countermeasures have been imposed by the EU, in violation of customary international law and WTO rules. In this framework, it critically assesses the way in which the General Court has identified and applied the relevant norms of international law, notably the rules on countermeasures and the principle of non-intervention and tackled the issue whether the EU is allowed to adopt autonomous sanctions going beyond mere retorsions. Particular attention is given to the considerations made by the judgment on the notion of erga omnes obligations, also with regard to the principles of the indivisibility of human rights, democracy and the rule of law.