COUNCIL REGULATION (CFSP) 2025/2601

of 15 December 2025

amending Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Belarus and the involvement of Belarus in the Russian aggression against Ukraine

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 215 thereof,

Having regard to Decision Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/2585 of 15 December 2025 amending Decision 2012/642/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Belarus and the involvement of Belarus in the Russian aggression against Ukraine (1),

Having regard to the joint proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and from the European Commission,

Whereas:

(1)	On 18 May 2006, the Council adopted Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 (2).

(2)	Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 gives effect to the measures provided for in Council Decision 2012/642/CFSP (3).

(3)	On 15 December 2025, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2025/2585, which amends Decision 2012/642/CFSP.

(4)

Decision (CFSP) 2025/2585 introduces an additional criterion for the listing of natural or legal persons, entities or bodies responsible for, implementing, supporting, benefitting from, involved in or facilitating actions or policies attributable to the Republic of Belarus which undermine or threaten democracy, the rule of law, stability or security in the Union or in one or several of its Member States, in an international organisation or in a third country, or which undermine or threaten the sovereignty or independence of one or several of its Member States, or of a third country, including in cases where it results in the disruption of the functioning of critical infrastructure, where it is reasonable to believe the natural or legal persons, entities or bodies were at least aware of the potential effects. The political context and the policy reasons for establishing those restrictive measures are set out in the recitals to that Decision.

(5)	That amendment needs to be reflected in Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 in order to allow for the correct and uniform implementation of the prohibition across the Union.

(6)	Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 should therefore be amended accordingly,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Article 2 of Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 is amended as follows:

(1)

the following paragraph is inserted:

‘6a. Annex I shall also consist of a list of:

(a)

the natural or legal persons, entities or bodies who, in accordance with Article 4(1), point (ca), of Decision 2012/642/CFSP, have been identified by the Council as responsible for, implementing, supporting, benefitting from, involved in or facilitating actions or policies attributable to the Republic of Belarus which undermine or threaten democracy, the rule of law, stability or security in the Union or in one or several of its Member States, in an international organisation or in a third country, or which undermine or threaten the sovereignty or independence of one or several of its Member States, or of a third country, through the following actions:

(i)	planning, directing, engaging in, directly or indirectly, supporting, or otherwise facilitating the use of information manipulation and interference;

(ii)

planning, directing, engaging in, directly or indirectly, supporting, or otherwise facilitating any actions targeted at the functioning of democratic institutions, economic activities or services of public interest, including by unauthorised entry into the territory of a Member State, including its airspace, or aimed at interfering with, damaging or destroying, including through sabotage or malicious cyber activities as part of hybrid activities, critical infrastructure;

(iii)

planning, directing, engaging in, directly or indirectly, supporting, or otherwise facilitating or enabling widespread or systematic actions disrupting the functioning of critical infrastructure;

(b)	the natural or legal persons, entities or bodies who, in accordance with Article 4(1), point (cb), of Decision 2012/642/CFSP, have been identified by the Council as supporting the natural or legal persons, entities or bodies engaged in activities referred to in point (a);

(c)	the legal persons, entities or bodies who, in accordance with Article 4(1), point (e), of Decision 2012/642/CFSP, have been identified by the Council as legal persons, entities or bodies owned or controlled by persons, entities or bodies referred to in points (a) or (b).’

;

(2)	paragraph 8 is replaced by the following: ‘8. Annex I shall also include natural or legal persons, entities or bodies associated with the persons, entities or bodies referred to in paragraphs 5, 6, 6a(a), 7 and 7a.’.

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following that 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 Brussels, 15 December 2025.

For the Council

The President

K. KALLAS

(1) OJ L, 2025/2585, 16.12.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2025/2585/oj.

(2) Council Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 of 18 May 2006 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Belarus and the involvement of Belarus in the Russian aggression against Ukraine (OJ L 134, 20.5.2006, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2006/765/oj).

(3) Council Decision 2012/642/CFSP of 15 October 2012 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Belarus and the involvement of Belarus in the Russian aggression against Ukraine (OJ L 285, 17.10.2012, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2012/642/oj).