(Text of Press Communique released by European Union – Press and Information Section)

Colombo, 2 December 2014 – The Council of the European Union has decided to appeal the Judgment of the General Court in Joined Cases T-208/11 and T-508/11 (LTTE v. Council) of 16 October 2014.

The Judgement of the General Court of the European Union annulled measures taken by the Council of the European Union against the LTTE, namely the designation of the LTTE as a terrorist organisation and the freezingof LTTE funds.

It is important to remember that this legal ruling was clearly based on procedural grounds and it did not imply any assessment by the Court of the substantive issues of designating the LTTE or of freezing LTTE funds.

The Council has now decided to challenge some of the findings of the Court regarding the procedural grounds to list terrorist organizations under EU autonomous measures to combat terrorism, as set out in Common Position 2001/931. The effects of the Judgement are suspended until a final judgement is rendered by the Court of Justice.

The EU institutions are also studying carefully other appropriate remedial actions that may be taken to avoid possible annulments in the future.