Council Regulation (EU) 2026/456 of 26 February 2026 amending Regulation (EC) No 2580/2001 on specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities with a view to combating terrorism and repealing Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1578 and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/420

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 Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/455 of 26 February 2026 on restrictive measures to combat terrorism, repealing Articles 2, 3 and 3a of Common Position 2001/931/CFSP on the application of specific measures to combat terrorism and repealing Decision (CFSP) 2025/1577 and Decision (CFSP) 2026/421 (1),

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

Whereas:

(1) Council Regulation (EC) No 2580/2001 (2) gives effect to Common Position 2001/931/CFSP (3) and provides for the freezing of assets of certain persons, groups and entities as well as for the prohibition of making funds or economic resources available to those listed.

(2) In view of the continuous threat of terrorism and violent extremism to the security of the European Union and its Member States, on 26 February 2026 the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2026/455 repealing Articles 2, 3 and 3a and reproducing the substance of Articles 1, 2, 3 and 3a of Common Position 2001/931/CFSP in order to provide for additional restrictive measures aimed at combating international terrorism. Decision (CFSP) 2026/455 introduces a travel ban for certain individuals and as provides for the possibility of adopting further measures, in the form of an asset freeze and a prohibition on making funds or economic resources available, against leading members of terrorist groups or entities subject to restrictive measures under Decision (CFSP) 2026/455, as well as against persons, groups and entities associated with those persons, groups and entities involved in terrorist acts.

(3) The measures set out in Decision (CFSP) 2026/455 fall within the scope of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and, therefore, notably with a view to ensuring their uniform application in all Member States, regulatory action at the level of the Union is necessary in order to implement them. In order to ensure uniform conditions for the implementation of this Regulation, implementing powers to update the contact details of the Member States’ competent authorities and of the Commission should be conferred on the Commission.

(4) The implementing powers to establish and amend the lists in Annexes II and III to this Regulation should be exercised by the Council in order to ensure consistency with the process for establishing, amending and reviewing Annexes I and II to Decision (CFSP) 2026/455.

(5) In order to update the contact details of Member States’ competent authorities and the Commission, the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 2580/2001, which includes the list of contact details of Member States’ competent authorities and the address for notifications to the Commission, should be replaced.

(6) For the implementation of this Regulation, and in order to ensure maximum legal certainty within the Union, the names and other relevant data concerning natural and legal persons, groups and entities whose funds and economic resources are to be frozen in accordance with this Regulation should be made public. Any processing of personal data should comply with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council (4) and Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council (5).

(7) On 29 July 2025, the Council adopted Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1578 (6) establishing an updated list of persons, groups and entities to which Regulation (EC) No 2580/2001 applies. On 19 February 2026, the Council adopted Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/420 (7) which added one entity to that list. The Council has carried out a review of that list and has concluded that the restrictive measures provided for in Regulation (EC) No 2580/2001 should continue to apply to the persons, groups and entities listed in Annex II to this Regulation. Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1578 and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/420 should be repealed.

(8) Regulation (EC) No 2580/2001 should therefore be amended accordingly,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Regulation (EC) No 2580/2001 is amended as follows:

(4) Article 3 is replaced by the following: ‘Article 3

(9) Article 7 is replaced by the following: ‘Article 7 (*6)  Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/455 of 26 February 2026 on restrictive measures to combat terrorism, repealing Articles 2, 3 and 3a of Common Position 2001/931/CFSP on the application of specific measures to combat terrorism and repealing Decision (CFSP) 2025/1577 and Decision (CFSP) 2026/421 (OJ L, 2026/455, 26.2.2026, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2026/455/oj).’;"

(10) the following Article is inserted: ‘Article 7a Annexes II and III shall contain, where available, the information necessary to identify the natural or legal persons, groups or entities concerned. With regard to natural persons, such information may include: names and aliases; date and place of birth; nationality; passport and identity card numbers; gender; address, if known; and function or profession. With regard to legal persons, groups or entities, such information may include: names, place and date of registration, registration number and place of business.’

(13) Article 9 is replaced by the following: ‘Article 9

(15) Article 11 is replaced by the following: ‘Article 11 This Regulation shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.’

(16) the Annex is replaced by the text in Annex I to this Regulation;

(17) Annex II is added in accordance with Annex II to this Regulation;

(18) Annex III is added in accordance with Annex III to this Regulation.

Article 2

Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1578 and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/420 are hereby repealed.

Article 3

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, 26 February 2026.

For the Council The President M. DAMIANOS

(1) OJ L, 2026/455, 26.2.2026, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2026/455/oj.

(2) Council Regulation (EC) No 2580/2001 of 27 December 2001 on specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities with a view to combating terrorism (OJ L 344, 28.12.2001, p. 70, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2001/2580/oj).

(3) Council Common Position 2001/931/CFSP of 27 December 2001 on the application of specific measures to combat terrorism (OJ L 344, 28.12.2001, p. 93, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/compos/2001/931/oj).

(4) Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation) (OJ L 119, 4.5.2016, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/679/oj).

(5) Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 and Decision No 1247/2002/EC (OJ L 295, 21.11.2018, p. 39, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2018/1725/oj).

(6) Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1578 of 29 July 2025 implementing Article 2(3) of Regulation (EC) No 2580/2001 on specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities with a view to combating terrorism, and repealing Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/206 (OJ L, 2025/1578, 30.7.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2025/1578/oj).

(7) Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/420 of 19 February 2026 implementing Article 2(3) of Regulation (EC) No 2580/2001 on specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities with a view to combating terrorism (OJ L, 2026/420, 19.2.2026, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2026/420/oj).