BelAZ and MAZ tried to challenge EU sanctions
BelAZ / probelarus.by
The EU Court rejected the lawsuits filed by the heads of two Belarusian companies who had sought to overturn sanctions against them. The companies in question are the holdings "BelawtoMAZ" and "BELAZ-Holding". The decisions in both cases were handed down on September 23, as noted by the Telegram channel The Sanctions Law.
MAZ and BelAZ challenged the effective equation of state ownership with support for the regime of Aliaksandr Lukashenka. However, the court found sufficient the arguments previously cited by the EU Council. The assessment took into account not only the state ownership of the enterprises, but also their significance for the Belarusian economy, as well as the fact that they are a source of financial revenues for the state.
In the MAZ case, the court noted a significant increase in the company's production and sales. Also mentioned was a public statement by Lukashenka, in which he called the plant one of the key enterprises for Belarusian industry.
In the BelAZ case, the court referred to data on the company's profitability and new equipment deliveries.
The Belarusian manufacturers claimed that the sanctions were making life harder for workers. MAZ also argued that the sanctions were strengthening economic ties between Belarus and Russia.
However, this argument was not considered convincing by the court. And the fact that the sanctions have a negative impact on company employees does not make these measures unlawful.
