Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/959 of 20 May 2025 implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1542 concerning restrictive measures against the proliferation and use of chemical weapons

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

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

Having regard to Council Regulation (EU) 2018/1542 of 15 October 2018 concerning restrictive measures against the proliferation and use of chemical weapons (1), and in particular Article 12 thereof,

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

Whereas:

(1) On 15 October 2018, the Council adopted Regulation (EU) 2018/1542.

(2) On 18 November 2024 and 14 February 2025, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) issued reports from two Technical Assistance Visits confirming the presence of the riot control agent CS and related compounds in the samples collected, pointing to a pattern of riot control use as a method of warfare on the front-lines in Ukraine, which is prohibited under Article I, paragraph 5, of the Chemical Weapons Convention.

(3) In that context and in view of the continued threat posed by the proliferation and use of chemical weapons, three entities should be included in the list of natural and legal persons, entities and bodies subject to restrictive measures set out in the Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2018/1542.

(4) Regulation (EU) 2018/1542 should therefore be amended accordingly,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2018/1542 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, 20 May 2025.

For the Council The President K. KALLAS

(1) OJ L 259, 16.10.2018, p. 12, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2018/1542/oj.