Further to our blog post setting out the Council of the EU’s decision to extend restrictive measures against Syria until 1 June 2017, the relevant implementing legislation has been published in the Official Journal of the European Union (Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/840 of 27 May 2016 (the “Regulation“) and Council Decision (CFSP) 2016/850 of 27 May 2016 (the “Decision“)). The Regulation and Decision enter into force tomorrow (29 May 2016).

The Council of the EU (the “Council“) today extended restrictive measures against Syria until 1 June 2017 in line with their conclusions of December 2014 in which it was affirmed that the EU would continue to impose and enforce sanctions for as long as the regime’s repression continued.  The EU implementing legislation is likely to be published in tomorrow’s edition of the Official Journal of the European Union.

On Friday 29 May 2015, the EU published Council Regulation (EU) 2015/828, which designates General Muhamad, the head of the Syrian Military Intelligence since April 2015. The stated reason for his designation is because he is “responsible for repression and violence against the civilian population in Damascus/ Damascus countryside”. The Regulation also removes a Rustum Ghazali from the list. The full identifiers and reasons for designations are available on HMT’s full designated party list…