EU Court Upholds Restrictive Measures Imposed on Russian Maritime Register
The Court of Justice of the European Union handed down a decision on November 4, upholding most of the restrictive measures the European Council has imposed against the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping. It found that the European Council was acting within its powers to sanction the operator of the registry as part of the Russian state and the efforts to pressure Russia to stop the war in Ukraine.
The case was brought by the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping to challenge the restrictions imposed starting in 2014 and increased after the invasion in 2022. At issue was the authority of the European Council to impose transaction restrictions and bans on the corporation and ships in the registry, as well as its withdrawal of recognition as a classification, inspection, and certification entity for shipping.
The Russian Maritime Register of Shipping had been recognized by the European Union since 1998. It was authorized to conduct inspections, surveys, and certification activities for ships flying either the Russian flag or foreign flags.
The first sanctions were imposed in 2014 after Russia invaded, occupied, and annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine. Those restrictions were further increased after the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and have been extended and expanded over the past four years. The European Council imposed financial restrictions on doing business with the Russian Register, including an investment ban. It also prohibited transactions with the organization, and ships certified by the organization were barred from accessing ports and locks in the European Union. Additionally, the European Council also withdrew its recognition of the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping and required member states to revoke authorizations they had granted to the organization.
The Court of Justice, in its decision, upheld all the bans, but annulled the measure withdrawing recognition of the organization. While the Court believed the European Commission was within its rights to take actions against the register organization as it is owned by the Russian state, it said the measure withdrawing the recognition was disproportionate, since less onerous steps were available.
It found that the European Commission could have had the same effect by suspending the recognition of the register organization. Its reasoning is that the withdrawal means that the recognition cannot be automatically reinstated if the restrictive measures are lifted. The court said the register would have to go through a new recognition procedure and the outcome would be uncertain.
The court, however, dismissed most of the action brought by the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping. It found that the European Council had fulfilled its obligation to state reasons for the action with actual and specific justifications. It was able to understand why the investment ban had been extended to the maritime sector and said the European Union was motivated by the Russian state ownership of the organization. The actions fall within the common foreign and security policy mandate of the Council.
The challenge to the blocking of ships within the registry from accessing EU ports was found to be inadmissible by the court. It said these actions only indirectly affected the legal position of the organization, as they targeted the ships and shipping companies.
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The decision was seen as a landmark ruling as it confirmed the authority of the European Council to implement the restrictive measures when clear and justified reasons were established. As of mid-2026, the European Union has sanctioned over 670 ships, largely targeting Russia's "shadow fleet" tankers while also imposing restrictions on other sectors that directly support maritime operations. This has included the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping, as well as restrictions on providing maintenance, repairs, and other services to target shipping and shipbuilding operations.
The European Union asserts the sanctions have a meaningful impact on Russia and its economy. It asserts the sanctions are a key part of the effort to bring an end to the war in Ukraine.
