The EU consolidated sanctions list

How a listing is adopted

The High Representative proposes measures, which Council preparatory bodies examine. The Council then adopts the decision under the Common Foreign and Security Policy by unanimity ¹. Asset freezes and other economic or financial measures must be put into effect in a Council regulation, based on a joint proposal of the High Representative and the European Commission ¹. The Council decision enters into force on publication in the Official Journal of the European Union ¹.

The EEAS says UN Security Council sanctions are automatically transposed into EU law. The EU adopts its own autonomous sanctions too, for example on terrorism financing and human rights abuses ⁴. Most measures target individuals and entities through asset freezes and travel bans ⁴.

The consolidated list and the Sanctions Map

The Directorate-General for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union (DG FISMA) keeps the consolidated list of individuals, groups and organisations subject to EU financial sanctions ². The Commission says a sanctions act becomes applicable EU law when published in the Official Journal ². The EU Sanctions Map gives details of all EU sanctions regimes and their legal acts ².

The Commission monitors correct and uniform implementation and gives guidance to member states. Member states are responsible for implementation and enforcement, including investigations and penalties ². The Council says intentional violations must carry a prison sentence as the maximum penalty under rules adopted on 12 April 2024 ⁵. The Commission runs a whistleblower tool for reports of suspected violations ².

What a listed person is told and how listings are reviewed

The Council informs listed persons and entities by letter when an address is known. Otherwise it publishes a notice in the C series of the Official Journal ¹. Measures based on UN decisions have no end date and change when the UN changes them ¹. Autonomous Council decisions usually run for 12 months, the regulations are open-ended and autonomous provisions are reviewed at least once every 12 months ¹.

The Russia regime as an example

The Council says measures over Russia's war against Ukraine apply to over 3,000 individuals and entities and that 21 packages have been adopted ³. The individual measures were first introduced in March 2014 and were most recently extended until 22 September 2029, according to the Council page reviewed on 22 September 2026 ³. The EEAS reported on 23 September 2026 that this extension runs for 36 months, longer than the usual 12-month term of autonomous decisions ^6,1. Economic sanctions have been extended in six-month periods since July 2016 and currently run until 31 July 2027 ³. For listed persons, assets in the EU are frozen, EU persons cannot make funds available to them and they cannot enter or transit through EU territory ³.

Asking for removal

A listed person can send a request for reconsideration with supporting documents to the Council's General Secretariat ¹. The EEAS says listed persons can make representations to the Council and contest the listing before the European courts ⁴. The Council names the General Court of the European Union as the court for such challenges ¹.