Two recent judgments of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) provide clarification on key aspects of the EU asset freeze sanctions regime, particularly the treatment of voting rights of EU designated persons (DPs) and the presumption and rebuttal of ownership and control. These decisions refine how EU sanctions are to be interpreted and applied, with direct implications for compliance, governance and risk management. The key takeaways are as follows: A DP is “absolutely and unconditionally” prevented from exercising their shareholding rights to vote or participate in meetings.