Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 was amended to adopt Decision (CFSP) 2026/504, by which it:
- Amends the listing criteria to include persons or entities owning, controlling, managing, operating, or supporting vessels involved in targeted activities.
- Extends an existing derogation on indemnity or insurance-related payments to a newly listed insurance company.
- Introduces additional derogations from asset freeze measures to allow activities of Member States’ cultural and educational intermediaries operating in Russia.
- Allows, under specific conditions, the release of frozen funds solely to cover arbitration costs awarded against listed persons, in order to discourage abusive arbitral proceedings and prevent circumvention of sanctions.
- Introduces a derogation permitting the release of frozen funds where necessary to enable a listed entity to reduce its reliance on Russian crude oil imports, and extends an existing derogation related to the Sofia metro system.
- Expands the prohibition on satisfying claims linked to contracts affected by restrictive measures to also cover claims brought by entities in third countries, thereby strengthening protection for EU operators.
- Enables Union persons to claim damages from parties seeking, in third countries, to enforce court or administrative decisions related to contracts impacted by restrictive measures, including against those supporting such enforcement.