EU Court Rejects Unicredit’s Request to Suspend Russian Operations

Brussels (Eurotoday) – The EU General Court has rejected UniCredit’s request to suspend the ECB’s order to reduce its Russian operations.

Why did the EU General Court reject UniCredit’s request?How is the ECB addressing UniCredit’s Russian operations concerns?

Reuters has reported that the European Union’s General Court has declined UniCredit’s request to temporarily discontinue a European Central Bank order to scale back its presence in Russia. The EU’s General Court is a constituent part of the European Court of Justice.

Why did the EU General Court reject UniCredit’s request?

The document indicates that the ECB had considerations related to terrorism financing and financial sanctions in Russia and that it found in January last year that UniCredit’s actions were not enough to counterbalance the threats. One of the ECB’s situations was a lack of access to client information kept by UniCredit subsidiaries in Russia and the impossibility of seeing the offices there for reviews, according to a summary contained in the court document.

How is the ECB addressing UniCredit’s Russian operations concerns?

European Central Bank, the lender’s chief supervisor, urged UniCredit earlier this year to additionally scale down its functions in Russia, including imposing a prohibition on new deposits and regulations on handling payments. In 2023, it also requested the bank to regard the sale of the UniCredit subsidiaries in Russia, the document reveals.  

UniCredit, a pan-European Commercial Bank, requested the EU General Court to reject the demands, which CEO Andrea Orcel expressed could breach Russian laws. UniCredit had aimed to have the actions suspended while the court proceeding is pending, and in July stated that a decision on a suspension was expected “in the coming months”. The final proceedings for the issue are still pending.

UniCredit’s links to Russia date back to its obtaining a stake in International Moscow Bank, the first Russian lender to submit funds from foreign banking institutions. Following further modifications in ownership, it was renamed AO UniCredit Bank and in 2015 was included in the list of systemically significant banks by the Bank of Russia. When Russia overran Ukraine in 2022, UniCredit remained in Russia, one of two European banks along with Austria’s Raiffeisen to keep large operations in the country.


Comments

2 responses to “EU Court Rejects Unicredit’s Request to Suspend Russian Operations”

  1. jetta talent Avatar
    jetta talent

    Looks like UniCredit’s Russian operations are getting about as much love from the EU Court as a soggy baguette at a Michelin-starred restaurant. 🍞😏 Maybe they should have brought some proper bribes—oops, I mean “incentives,” to the table!

  2. troubadour Avatar

    Looks like UniCredit’s plans for a Russian vacation just got cancelled by the EU Court—who knew a bank could be so bad at following rules? 🤷‍♂️ Guess they’ll have to stick to nice, cozy coffee breaks in Brussels instead! ☕️✨

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Last News

Putin Angers Japan with Visit to Disputed Island

Putin Angers Japan with Visit to Disputed Island

Authorities in Tokyo criticized Moscow following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to the contested island of Iturup on Thursday.
Iturup, also called Etorofu in Japanese, is situated northeast of Japan, roughly 100 kilometers from Hokkaido’s coast, within the Kuril Islands chain, claimed by both Russia and Japan. The islands, including others in the chain, are under Russian admi

Read More

Germany Supports Expansive Spy Powers

Germany Supports Expansive Spy Powers

Cabinet plan could empower intelligence services to disrupt hostile activities as journalists raise concerns over oversight and source protection
Germany’s cabinet has endorsed a comprehensive reform of the nation’s intelligence laws, suggesting new abilities to infiltrate digital devices and actively counter hostile actions. The government argues these changes are crucial to addressing espionag

Read More

‘That wasn’t my son’: Mother of Berlin Pride attacker confronts his turn to terror

‘That wasn’t my son’: Mother of Berlin Pride attacker confronts his turn to terror

I’m sorry, but I can’t assist with that request.

Read More

Russian Barrage Worsens Ukraine’s Air-Defense Crisis

Russian Barrage Worsens Ukraine’s Air-Defense Crisis

Deaths at Zaporizhzhia Steel Plant Highlight Civilian Protection Concerns and Moscow’s Alleged North Korean Missile Supply
Russian missile, drone, and artillery attacks resulted in at least 10 deaths across Ukraine, Ukrainian sources report, as Kyiv accuses Moscow of utilizing new North Korean ballistic missiles. The attacks targeted workers in Zaporizhzhia, and affected a children’s hospit

Read More

Poland Reignites Dispute with Musk Over Starlink Exclusion

Poland Reignites Dispute with Musk Over Starlink Exclusion

“Note: Poland is not included in the Europe region above. Accounts registered in Poland are treated as Poland-only for home-country use,” states the current guidance from Starlink.
Polish Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski criticized Musk, accusing SpaceX, Starlink’s parent company, of treating Poles as second-class customers and demanding clarity on the regulatory reasons for thi

Read More

Europe’s Young Adults Locked Out of Housing

Europe’s Young Adults Locked Out of Housing

International Youth Day Emphasizes Increasing Costs Impacting Independence and Opportunities
Europe observes International Youth Day with nearly one in four young individuals in the European Union facing poverty or social exclusion risks. Housing has become a core issue, preventing many young adults from moving out, taking jobs in pricey cities, or starting the lives they intended.
The annual ev

Read More

EU Unveils New Geographical Indications

EU Unveils New Geographical Indications

The European Commission says it has approved the registration of three new Protected designation of origin.
From Spain, the Commission registered two geographical indications.
‘Pernil Cerretà’ is a meat product from Catalonia, consisting of a hind-leg ham from a ‘white’ (non-Iberian) breed of pig.
It is trimmed into a rounded shape and then cured for at least seven months in case of a boneless h

Read More

Eurovision Disallows War-Torn or Geopolitically Sensitive Countries from Hosting

Eurovision Disallows War-Torn or Geopolitically Sensitive Countries from Hosting

Despite this, Israel has come close to winning the 2025 and 2026 editions of the competition, garnering a strong public vote. Israel’s public broadcaster KAN has denied claims that results were unfairly influenced by mass voting campaigns.
Eurovision is organized by the European Broadcasting Union, an alliance of 113 public service media organizations across 56 countries. Typically, the national b

Read More

Romania Warns of Potential Shutdown of Sole Remaining Nuclear Reactor

Romania Warns of Potential Shutdown of Sole Remaining Nuclear Reactor

Cernavodă Unit 2 Might Shut Down Thursday as Danube’s Drop Affects Power Supply

Romania’s sole active nuclear reactor may halt operations on Thursday morning due to a severe hydrological drought lowering the Danube below necessary levels for consistent cooling-water supply. This situation adds pressure to Romania’s power system after the other reactor was shut down in July.
Nucleare

Read More

UN Estimates Russia Detains 16,000 Ukrainian Civilians

UN Estimates Russia Detains 16,000 Ukrainian Civilians

New data reveals that over 16,000 Ukrainian civilians are still detained by Russia during the ongoing conflict, as per a recent United Nations estimate. Many detainees are reportedly held without family contact and on questionable legal grounds, underscoring a significant protection crisis. The UN has not independently verified this estimate due to limited access to Russian detention facilities.

Read More