Council extends EU chemical weapons sanctions until 2031, listings to 2027

The Council of the European Union has extended until 30 October 2031 the EU regime of restrictive measures against the proliferation and use of chemical weapons, while keeping the measures targeting listed persons and entities in force only until 30 October 2027. The amendment to Decision (CFSP) 2018/1544 was adopted on 12 October 2026 and published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 13 October 2026 as Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/2286, entering into force the following day.

The original act, Council Decision (CFSP) 2018/1544 of 15 October 2018 (OJ L 259, 16.10.2018, p. 25), was due to expire on 16 October 2026. After reviewing the regime, the Council concluded that the continuing and lasting threat to international peace and security posed by chemical weapons justified extending its application until 30 October 2031. The decision was adopted under Article 29 of the Treaty on European Union, on a proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and complements Council Regulation (EU) 2018/1542 (OJ L 259, 16.10.2018, p. 12), which gives effect to the asset freeze at EU level.

Two different deadlines

• The regime as a whole now runs until 30 October 2031 and is to be kept under constant review.
• The restrictive measures set out in Articles 2 and 3 of the decision — asset freezes and travel restrictions — apply to the natural and legal persons, entities and bodies in the Annex only until 30 October 2027.
• The framework therefore outlives the current listings by four years, forcing a separate review of the Annex before 2027.

What the decision changes

Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/2286 consists of two articles. Article 1 replaces paragraph 1 of Article 8 of Decision (CFSP) 2018/1544 with the new expiry dates. Article 2 provides that the decision enters into force on the day following its publication in the Official Journal, that is 14 October 2026.

It was done at Luxembourg on 12 October 2026 and signed for the Council by its President, K. Kallas.

Notices to those affected

Two notices published in the C series of the Official Journal of the European Union on 13 October 2026 accompany the decision.

• C/2026/5386 is addressed to the persons and entities listed in the Annex to Decision (CFSP) 2018/1544, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2026/2286, and in Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2018/1542; the Council determined that the measures should continue to apply to them.
• Those concerned may apply to the competent authorities of the relevant Member State for authorisation to use frozen funds for basic needs or specific payments, under Article 3 of the Regulation.
• Requests for reconsideration of a listing, with supporting documentation, may be sent to the Council’s General Secretariat (RELEX.1, Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 175, 1048 Brussels, sanctions@consilium.europa.eu); the notice sets 2 May 2026 as the deadline.
• Listings can also be challenged before the General Court of the European Union under Article 275(2) and Article 263(4) and (6) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
• C/2026/5387 informs data subjects about the processing of their personal data under Regulation (EU) 2018/1725, with the Council, represented by the Director-General for External Relations (RELEX), as controller.

The extension locks in the EU’s chemical weapons sanctions framework for five more years while forcing a separate, earlier decision on who remains listed. For the individuals and entities concerned, the practical effect is that asset freezes and travel bans persist until at least 30 October 2027, with the possibility of judicial challenge in Luxembourg.

Source: Official Journal of the European Union, L series, No 2026/2286, 13 October 2026 (official reference: CELEX L_20262286).