On 13 August 2025, the Swiss government adopted the Ordinance on the harmonization of sanctions ordinances (“Ordinance”), introducing a number of provisions relating to financial sanctions and their exceptions and derogations in relation to 14 of the 28 sanctions regimes in force in Switzerland (already briefly mentioned here). The Ordinance will come into effect on 15 September 2025. The sanctions regimes affected by the amendments introduced by the Ordinance are the following: In essence, the…
As a first step towards implementing the EU’s 18th sanctions package, the Swiss government amended several annexes to the Ordinance on Measures in Connection with the Situation in Ukraine (“Ukraine Ordinance”) on 11 August 2025. The Swiss government also extended the lists of designated persons in the Ordinance on Measures against Belarus (“Belarus Ordinance”) and the Ordinance on Measures against Moldova (“Moldova Ordinance”), following the listings adopted by the EU on 18 and 15 July…
On 20 June 2025, the Swiss Federal Council announced that Switzerland is lifting its economic sanctions against Syria (see press release here). This decision is a move to align Switzerland with the EU’s decision of 27 May 2025 (see blog post here). The revision follows the initial easing of specific sanctions related to Syria’s energy and transport sectors, as well as certain financial services and banking relationships, implemented on 7 March 2025 (see press release here).…
On 1 June 2025, the revised Swiss Ordinance on Measures against Belarus (“Belarus Ordinance”) entered into force, thereby implementing the EU’s latest Belarus sanctions. These sanctions had been adopted alongside the EU’s 16th sanctions package against Russia on 24 February 2025, which Switzerland implemented on 15 May 2025 (see blog post here). With this revision of the Belarus Ordinance, Switzerland continues to align its sanctions regime against Belarus with the sanctions against Russia, thereby preventing…