Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/963 of 20 May 2025 amending Decision (CFSP) 2024/2643 concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s destabilising activities
Date: 2025-05-20
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: EU restrictive measure, Russia, Russo-Ukrainian issue, Ukraine, economic sanctions, international sanctions, legal person, mass media, natural person, territorial dispute, territorial law, trade restriction




L_202500963EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
L series













2025/963


20.5.2025







            COUNCIL DECISION (CFSP) 2025/963
         
of 20 May 2025
         
amending Decision (CFSP) 2024/2643 concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s destabilising activities


THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Article 29 thereof,


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

Whereas:







(1)


On 8 October 2024, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2024/2643 (1).












(2)


In its conclusions of 19 December 2024, the European Council condemned Russia’s hybrid campaign, including sabotage, disruption of critical infrastructure, cyber-attacks, information manipulation and interference, and attempts to undermine democracy, including in the electoral process, against the European Union and its Member States. The Council declared that it would continue to strengthen their resilience and make full use of all means available to prevent, deter and respond to Russia’s hybrid activities.












(3)


On 27 January 2025, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy noted that Russia’s hybrid actions are increasing in frequency and intensity.












(4)


On 12 March 2025, the European Parliament, in its resolution on the white paper on the future of European defence, underlined that the protection of Union land, air and maritime borders contributes to the security of the entire Union, and called for immediate measures to enhance the security and defence of the Union’s north-eastern border with Russia and Belarus by establishing a comprehensive and resilient defence line across land, air and maritime domains to counter military and hybrid threats including energy weaponisation, infrastructure sabotage and the instrumentalisation of migration.












(5)


It is therefore appropriate to introduce a prohibition on transactions related to tangible assets linked to Russia’s destabilising activities, including vessels, aircraft, real estate, and physical elements of digital and communication networks. Such tangible assets include both those of a movable nature, and those of an immovable nature. The tangible assets should be adequately identifiable, in order to support the effective implementation of the prohibition.












(6)


It is also appropriate to introduce a prohibition on transactions of credit institutions, financial institutions and entities providing crypto-assets services that directly or indirectly facilitate activities by, or otherwise benefit, persons, entities or bodies engaged in Russia’s destabilising activities.












(7)


Russia has engaged in a systematic, international campaign of media manipulation and distortion of facts in order to enhance its strategy of destabilising its neighbouring countries and the Union and its Member States. In particular, the propaganda and disinformation have repeatedly and consistently targeted European political parties, especially during election periods, as well as civil society, minority communities, refugees, and the functioning of democratic institutions in the Union and its Member States.












(8)


The hybrid actions by Russia have been channelled through a number of media outlets under the permanent direct or indirect control of the Russian leadership. Such actions constitute a significant and direct threat to the Union’s public order and security. Those media outlets are essential and instrumental, inter alia, in pursuing information manipulation and interference by Russia against the Union, or its Member States, international organisations, or third countries.












(9)


In view of the gravity of the situation, and in response to Russia’s destabilising actions, it is necessary to introduce restrictive measures to suspend the broadcasting licences in the Union of Russian media outlets under the permanent control of the Russian leadership, and to prohibit them from broadcasting their content in the Union, or directed at the Union. These measures should be maintained until Russia and those media outlets cease to conduct propaganda actions against the Union, one or more of its Member States, an international organisation or a third country.












(10)


These measures are consistent with the fundamental rights and freedoms recognised in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, in particular with the right to freedom of expression and information, the freedom to conduct a business and the right to property as recognised in Articles 11, 16 and 17, respectively. The introduction of these restrictive measures does not prevent those media outlets or their staff from carrying out activities in the Union other than broadcasting, such as research and interviews. In particular, these restrictive measures do not modify the obligation to respect the rights, freedoms and principles referred to in Article 6 of the Treaty on European Union, including those in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and in the constitutions of the Member States, within their respective fields of application.












(11)


Decision (CFSP) 2024/2643 should therefore be amended accordingly,





HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:



Article 1
Decision (CFSP) 2024/2643 is amended as follows:






(1)


in Article 1, paragraph 1 is replaced by the following:

‘1.   Member States shall take the necessary measures to prevent the entry into, or transit through, their territories of natural persons, as listed in Annex I, who are:






(a)


responsible for, implementing, supporting, benefitting from, involved in or facilitating actions or policies attributable to the Government of the Russian Federation 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 obstruction or undermining of the democratic political process or public order and safety, including by obstructing or undermining the holding of elections or attempting to destabilise or overthrow the constitutional order;










(ii)


planning, directing, engaging in, directly or indirectly, supporting, or otherwise facilitating violent demonstrations;










(iii)


planning, directing, engaging in, directly or indirectly, supporting, or otherwise facilitating acts of physical or non-physical violence, including activities to silence, intimidate, coerce, or exact reprisals against persons critical of the actions or policies of the Russian Federation;










(iv)


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










(v)


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, including submarine infrastructure;










(vi)


planning, directing, engaging in, directly or indirectly, supporting, or otherwise facilitating the instrumentalisation of migrants as referred to in Article 1(4), point (b), of Regulation (EU) 2024/1359;










(vii)


exploiting an armed conflict, instability or insecurity, including through the illicit exploitation of, or trade in, natural resources and wildlife in a third country;










(viii)


instigating, supporting or otherwise facilitating a violent conflict in a third country;














(b)


associated with the natural persons listed under point (a);










(c)


supporting the natural persons engaged in activities referred to in point (a).’




;









(2)


in Article 2, paragraph 1 is replaced by the following:

‘1.   All funds and economic resources belonging to, owned, held or controlled by natural or legal persons, entities or bodies that are:






(a)


responsible for, implementing, supporting, benefitting from, involved in or facilitating actions or policies attributable to the Government of the Russian Federation 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 obstruction or undermining of the democratic political process or public order and safety, including by obstructing or undermining the holding of elections or attempting to destabilise or overthrow the constitutional order;










(ii)


planning, directing, engaging in, directly or indirectly, supporting, or otherwise facilitating violent demonstrations;










(iii)


planning, directing, engaging in, directly or indirectly, supporting, or otherwise facilitating acts of physical or non-physical violence, including activities to silence, intimidate, coerce, or exact reprisals against persons critical of the actions or policies of the Russian Federation;










(iv)


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










(v)


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, including submarine infrastructure;










(vi)


planning, directing, engaging in, directly or indirectly, supporting, or otherwise facilitating the instrumentalisation of migrants as referred to in Article 1(4), point (b), of Regulation (EU) 2024/1359;










(vii)


exploiting an armed conflict, instability or insecurity, including through the illicit exploitation of, or trade in, natural resources and wildlife in a third country;










(viii)


instigating, supporting or otherwise facilitating a violent conflict in a third country;














(b)


associated with the natural or legal persons, entities or bodies listed under point (a);










(c)


supporting the natural or legal persons, entities or bodies engaged in activities referred to in point (a), as listed in Annex I, shall be frozen.’




;









(3)


the following articles are inserted:

‘Article 2a

1.   It shall be prohibited to engage, directly or indirectly, in any transaction relating to or involving any tangible asset, such as vessels, aircraft, real estate, ports, airports, and physical elements of digital and communication networks, as listed in Annex II.


2.   The list in Annex II shall include tangible assets which are:






(a)


used in activities of a destabilising character that endanger or damage critical infrastructure, including submarine infrastructure, and that are attributable to or benefitting the Government of the Russian Federation;










(b)


used in the context of activities of a destabilising character that violate Union, national, or international air, marine or land traffic regulations, and that are attributable to or benefitting the Government of the Russian Federation;










(c)


used in activities of a destabilising character, including espionage and surveillance, the transport of weapons or military equipment and personnel, information manipulation and interference, and that are attributable to or benefitting the Government of the Russian Federation;










(d)


owned, chartered or operated by natural or legal persons, entities or bodies listed in Annex I, or is otherwise used in the name of, on behalf of, in relation with, or for the benefit of, such persons.






3.   The prohibition in paragraph 1 shall not apply to transactions for reasons of maritime or aviation safety, or necessary for humanitarian purposes, or for the urgent prevention or mitigation of an event likely to have a serious and significant impact on human health and safety or on the environment, or as a response to natural disasters.


4.   The prohibition in paragraph 1 shall not apply to transactions resulting from the recognition or enforcement of a judgment or an arbitral award rendered in a Member State, or to transactions carried out for the purposes of an investigation into infringements of this Decision or of an investigation into other illicit activity.


5.   By way of derogation from paragraph 1, the competent authorities of a Member State may authorise transactions relating to or involving tangible assets listed in Annex II, under such conditions as they deem appropriate, after having determined, on a case by case basis, that the transaction is necessary for any purpose consistent with the objectives of this Decision.
The Member State concerned shall inform the other Member States and the Commission of any such authorisation granted within two weeks thereof.



Article 2b

1.   It shall be prohibited to engage, directly or indirectly, in any transaction with:






(a)


a legal person, entity or body established outside the Union that is a credit or financial institution or an entity providing crypto assets services, involved in transactions that facilitate, directly or indirectly, activities referred to in Article 1(1) or Article 2(1) or otherwise supporting persons, entities or bodies engaged in activities referred to in Article 1(1) or Article 2(1); or;










(b)


a legal person, entity or body providing technical or operational assistance to natural or legal persons, entities or bodies engaged in activities referred to Article 1(1) or Article 2(1), as listed in Annex III to this Decision.






2.   The prohibition in paragraph 1 shall not apply to transactions that are:






(a)


necessary for the export, sale, supply, transfer or transport of pharmaceutical, medical, or agricultural and food products, including wheat and fertilisers;










(b)


strictly necessary to ensure access to judicial, administrative or arbitral proceedings in a Member State, as well as for the recognition or enforcement of a judgment or an arbitration award rendered in a Member State, provided that such transactions are consistent with the objectives of this Decision and those of Council Regulation (EU) 2024/2642 (*1); or










(c)


necessary for humanitarian purposes, such as delivering, or facilitating the delivery of, assistance, including medical supplies, food, or the transfer of humanitarian workers and related assistance, or for evacuations.







Article 2c

1.   It shall be prohibited for operators to broadcast or to enable, facilitate or otherwise contribute to broadcasting, any content by the legal persons, entities or bodies listed in Annex IV, including through transmission or distribution by any means, such as cable, satellite, IP-TV, internet service providers, internet video-sharing platforms or applications, whether new or pre-installed.


2.   Any broadcasting licence or authorisation, transmission or distribution arrangement with the legal persons, entities or bodies listed in Annex IV shall be suspended.


3.   It shall be prohibited to advertise products or services in any content produced or broadcast by the legal persons, entities or bodies listed in Annex IV, including through transmission or distribution by any of the means referred to in paragraph 1 of this article.



(*1)  Council Regulation (EU) 2024/2642 of 8 October 2024 concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s destabilising activities (OJ L, 2024/2642, 9.10.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/2642/oj).’;"
                        










(4)


the Annex to Decision (CFSP) 2024/2643 is amended in accordance with the Annex to this Decision.






Article 2
This Decision shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.




Done at Brussels, 20 May 2025.


For the Council


The President

K. KALLAS
            





(1)  Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/2643 of 8 October 2024 concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s destabilising activities (OJ L, 2024/2643, 9.10.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2024/2643/oj).




ANNEX
The Annex to Decision (CFSP) 2024/2643 is amended as follows:






(1)


the Annex is renamed ‘Annex I’;










(2)


the following Annexes are added:


‘ANNEX II
List of tangible assets referred to in Article 2a
[…]




ANNEX III
List of legal persons, entities and bodies referred to in Article 2b
[…]




ANNEX IV
List of legal persons, entities and bodies referred to in Article 2c
[…]’.









ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2025/963/oj
ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)