Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/509 of 17 March 2025 implementing Regulation (EC) No 1183/2005 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

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

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1183/2005 of 18 July 2005 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (1), and in particular Article 9(2) thereof,

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

Whereas:

(1) On 18 July 2005, the Council adopted Regulation (EC) No 1183/2005.

(2) On 25 January 2025, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy issued a statement on behalf of the Union expressing its deep concern at the latest escalation of the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), as aggravated by the renewed offensive of the M23 armed group supported by the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF).

(3) The RDF’s unauthorised presence in the DRC constitutes a violation of that country’s territorial integrity and sustains the armed conflict, instability and insecurity in the region.

(4) Revenues from the illegal extraction and trafficking of natural resources from eastern DRC are being used to fund, inter alia, the M23 armed group and its operations, and are thereby contributing to the escalation of the conflict.

(5) In view of the gravity of the situation in the DRC, nine persons and one entity should be added to the list of natural or legal persons, entities and bodies set out in Annex Ia to Regulation (EC) No 1183/2005.

(6) Regulation (EC) No 1183/2005 should therefore be amended accordingly,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Annex Ia to Regulation (EC) No 1183/2005 is 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 Brussels, 17 March 2025.

For the Council The President K. KALLAS

(1) OJ L 193, 23.7.2005, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2005/1183/oj.