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Document 32026R2278
Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2278 of 12 October 2026 implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1509 concerning restrictive measures against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2278 of 12 October 2026 implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1509 concerning restrictive measures against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2278 of 12 October 2026 implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1509 concerning restrictive measures against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
ST/11953/2026/INIT
OJ L, 2026/2278, 12.10.2026, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2026/2278/oj (BG, ES, CS, DA, DE, ET, EL, EN, FR, GA, HR, IT, LV, LT, HU, MT, NL, PL, PT, RO, SK, SL, FI, SV)
In force
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Official Journal |
EN L series |
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2026/2278 |
12.10.2026 |
COUNCIL IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2026/2278
of 12 October 2026
implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1509 concerning restrictive measures against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EU) 2017/1509 concerning restrictive measures against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and repealing Regulation (EC) No 329/2007 (1), and in particular Article 47(2) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,
Whereas:
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(1) |
On 30 August 2017, the Council adopted Regulation (EU) 2017/1509. |
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(2) |
On 11 September 2017, in United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2375 (2017), the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) decided to prohibit the opening, maintenance and operation of all joint ventures or cooperative entities with Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) entities or individuals. |
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(3) |
On 22 December 2017, in UNSCR 2397 (2017), the UNSC acknowledged that the proceeds of the DPRK’s trade in sectoral goods, as well as the revenue generated from DPRK workers overseas, among others, contribute to the DPRK’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes. The UNSC decided to require the repatriation of all DPRK workers abroad, subject to applicable national and international law. Furthermore, the UNSC decided to increase the existing restrictive measures in a number of sectors, including with regard to the supply, sale or transfer to the DPRK of crude oil and all refined petroleum products. |
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(4) |
On 19 December 2023, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (the ‘High Representative’) issued a declaration on behalf of the Union underlining that the DPRK must comply with its obligations under UNSCRs by abandoning all its nuclear weapons, other weapons of mass destruction, ballistic missile programmes and existing nuclear programmes, in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner and cease all related activities. It reiterated that the DPRK cannot and will never have the status of a nuclear weapon state in accordance with the Non-Proliferation Treaty. In that declaration, the Union urged the DPRK and Russia to refrain from any exchanges of military equipment, missile technology or ammunition and abide by the successive UNSCRs that clearly prohibit any arms exports or imports involving the DPRK. The Union also condemned any military support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine provided by the DPRK, and reiterated its deep concern about reports of DPRK arms transfers to Russia. |
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(5) |
On 31 May 2024, the High Representative, along with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea and the United Kingdom and the Secretary of State of the United States of America, issued a joint statement expressing grave concern regarding the deepening DPRK-Russia cooperation in flagrant violation of multiple UNSCRs and condemning Russia’s veto of a UNSCR that would have extended the mandate of the United Nations (UN) Panel of Experts supporting the UNSC Committee established pursuant to UNSCR 1718 (2006), thereby seeking to deprive all UN Member States of the objective and independent information and guidance they need to implement binding UNSCRs concerning the DPRK. |
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(6) |
On 30 October 2024, the High Representative issued a statement affirming that the presence on Russian soil of several thousand DPRK troops cooperating with the Russian military represents a flagrant violation of the UN Charter and of multiple UNSCRs. |
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(7) |
On 31 October 2024, the High Representative issued a statement condemning the DPRK’s launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile on that day, and called on all UN Member States, especially Members of the UNSC, to ensure the full implementation of UN sanctions and to urge the DPRK to cease its illegal actions, to refrain from further escalating military tensions and to return to diplomacy. |
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(8) |
In its conclusions of 18 June 2026, the European Council strongly condemned the deployment of the DPRK’s military forces in the war against Ukraine as well as the continued military support provided to Russia by the DPRK, Iran and Belarus. |
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(9) |
The Council is gravely concerned by the continued nuclear-related and ballistic-missile-related activities carried out by the DPRK in violation of and with flagrant disregard for the relevant UNSCRs and by the further deepening of the DPRK-Russia cooperation, including the employment of DPRK workers in Russia, the establishment of commercial joint ventures and the DPRK-Russia ‘arms-for-oil’ trade. Such DPRK-Russia cooperation poses a serious threat to international peace and security and violates sanctions imposed by the UNSC. |
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(10) |
In light of the gravity of the situation, the Council considers that three persons and four entities assisting in the evasion of UN sanctions and violating sanctions imposed by the UNSC, responsible for the DPRK’s nuclear-related, ballistic-missile-related or other weapons of mass destruction-related programmes, or supporting, promoting or being involved in supplies that could contribute to those programmes should be included in the lists of persons, entities and bodies subject to restrictive measures set out in Annexes XV and XVI to Regulation (EU) 2017/1509. |
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(11) |
Regulation (EU) 2017/1509 should therefore be amended accordingly, |
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
Annexes XV and XVI to Regulation (EU) 2017/1509 are amended in accordance with the Annex to this Regulation.
Article 2
This Regulation shall enter into force on the date of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Luxembourg, 12 October 2026.
For the Council
The President
K. KALLAS
(1) Council Regulation (EU) 2017/1509 of 30 August 2017 concerning restrictive measures against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and repealing Regulation (EC) No 329/2007 (OJ L 224, 31.8.2017, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2017/1509/oj).
ANNEX
Regulation (EU) 2017/1509 is amended as follows:
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(1) |
Annex XV, entitled ‘List of persons, entities and bodies referred to in Article 34(1) and 34(3)’, is amended as follows:
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(2) |
Annex XVI, entitled ‘List of persons, entities or bodies referred to in Article 34(1) and 34(3)’, is amended as follows:
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ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2026/2278/oj
ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)