EU Court Again Refuses to Lift Sanctions on MAZ and BelAZ

Reform.news Editorial Team · 24 September 2026, 18:02

https://reform.news/en/eu-court-again-refuses-to-lift-sanctions-on-maz-and-belaz/

OJSC BelAZ – Management Company of BelAZ-Holding and OJSC MAZ – Management Company of BelAvtoMAZ Holding sought to challenge the EU sanctions imposed on the companies in court, but the Court of Justice of the European Union upheld the restrictive measures.

The cases were heard on Sept. 23.

The court found justified the EU Council’s conclusion that MAZ is one of Belarus’s largest state-owned vehicle manufacturers and a source of revenue for the Belarusian regime. The court considered these circumstances sufficient to conclude that the company supports the Aliaksandr Lukashenka regime.

The court also noted that MAZ remains a state-owned company and continues to conduct substantial commercial activity, including in Russia. The ruling specifically mentions that in 2025 the EU Council cited MAZ’s supplies of military trucks to the Russian army.

BelAZ challenged the extension of the sanctions, arguing, among other things, that the EU Council had erred in assessing its activities and violated its property rights and freedom to conduct business.

The court found justified the conclusion that the company supports the Aliaksandr Lukashenka regime. In the ruling, BelAZ is described as a state-owned enterprise providing financial support to the regime.

The court dismissed both actions and ordered the companies to pay the legal costs.