Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/408 of 24 February 2025 implementing Regulation (EU) No 36/2012 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EU) No 36/2012 of 18 January 2012 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria and repealing Regulation (EU) No 442/2011 (1), and in particular Article 32 thereof,

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

Whereas:

(1) On 18 January 2012, the Council adopted Regulation (EU) No 36/2012.

(2) Following the fall of al-Assad’s regime in Syria, in its conclusions of 19 December 2024 the European Council stressed the historic opportunity to reunite and rebuild the country and underlined the importance of an inclusive and Syrian-led political process that meets the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people, in line with the core principles of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254 (2015).

(3) In light of the fall of al-Assad’s regime, which was responsible for the violent repression of the Syrian civil population and the invitation by the European Council to the Commission and the High Representative to submit options for measures to support Syria, the Council has reviewed the restrictive measures set out in Decision 2013/255/CFSP (2).

(4) On the basis of this review, and with a view to encouraging an inclusive transition in Syria and to support humanitarian aid delivery, economic recovery, reconstruction and stabilisation, as well as facilitating the return of Syrian nationals to Syria along with their belongings, the Council considers that a number of restrictive measures should be suspended.

(5) To ensure the effectiveness of the suspensions of the restrictive measures, the Council considers that six entities should be removed from the list of natural and legal persons, entities or bodies subject to the freezing of funds and economic resources. The assets of one of those entities should remain frozen.

(6) Regulation (EU) No 36/2012 should therefore be amended accordingly,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

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, 24 February 2025.

For the Council The President K. KALLAS

(1) OJ L 16, 19.1.2012, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2012/36/oj.

(2) Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP of 31 May 2013 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria (OJ L 147, 1.6.2013, p. 14, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2013/255/oj).