Date: 2025-12-23Category: Not ApplicableState: Union GovernmentCountry: Europe
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2656 of 19 December 2025 amending Council Regulation (EC) No 1210/2003 concerning certain specific restrictions on economic and financial relations with Iraq
**Executive Summary**
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2656, dated December 19, 2025, amends Council Regulation (EC) No 1210/2003 regarding specific restrictions on economic and financial relations with Iraq. It updates Annex IV to reflect a decision by the United Nations Security Council to remove one individual from the list of persons subject to asset freezes. The regulation enters into force the day after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union (published on December 23, 2025).
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Amendment to Annex IV:**
* Annex IV to Council Regulation (EC) No 1210/2003 is amended.
* The entry for Munir Al Qubaysi (with aliases) is deleted from Annex IV.
* **Entry into Force:**
* The regulation enters into force on the day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
* **Applicability:**
* The Regulation is binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
**Impact Analysis**
**Member States**
* **Impact:** Member states are required to implement the changes to Annex IV of Council Regulation (EC) No 1210/2003.
* **Action Required:** Member States must immediately unfreeze any assets belonging to the deleted individual, Munir Al Qubaysi, within their jurisdiction. They must also cease any prohibition to make funds or economic resources available to this individual.
**Munir Al Qubaysi**
* **Impact:** Munir Al Qubaysi is removed from the list of persons subject to asset freezes.
* **Action Required:** No specific action required by the document from Munir Al Qubaysi.
Key Entities Referenced
Council Regulation (EC) No 1210/2003: Regulation concerning specific restrictions on economic and financial relations with Iraq, which this implementing regulation amends.
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2656: The regulation which amends Council Regulation (EC) No 1210/2003 concerning restrictions on economic and financial relations with Iraq.
Annex IV to Regulation (EC) No 1210/2003: List of persons, bodies, or entities associated with the regime of former President Saddam Hussein covered by the freezing of funds and economic resources.
United Nations Security Council: The Sanctions Committee of the UNSC decided to remove one natural person from the list of persons and entities to whom the assets freeze should apply.
Iraq: Country to which the economic and financial restrictions apply.
Official Journal EN
of the European Union L series
2025/2656 23.12.2025
COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION(EU) 2025/2656
of 19 December 2025
amending Council Regulation (EC) No 1210/2003 concerning certain specific restrictions on
economic and financial relations with Iraq
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1210/2003 of 7 July 2003 concerning certain specific restrictions on
economic and financial relations with Iraq and repealing Regulation (EC) No 2465/96(1), and in particular Article 11(b)
thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Annex IV to Regulation (EC) No 1210/2003 lists natural and legal persons, bodies or entities associated with the
regime of former President Saddam Hussein covered by the freezing of funds and economic resources and by a
prohibition to make funds or economic resources available.
(2) On 9 December 2025, the Sanctions Committee of the United Nations Security Council decided to remove one
natural person from the list of persons and entities to whom the assets freeze should apply.
(3) Annex IV to Regulation (EC) No 1210/2003 should therefore be amended accordingly,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
Annex IV to Regulation (EC) No 1210/2003 is amended in accordance with the Annex to this Regulation.
Article 2
This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 19 December 2025.
For the Commission
On behalf of the President
Director-General
Directorate-General for Financial Stability, Financial
Services and Capital Markets Union
(1) OJ L 169, 8.7.2003, p. 6.
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2025/2656/oj 1/2EN
OJ L, 23.12.2025
ANNEX
In Annex IV to Regulation (EC) No 1210/2003, the following entry is deleted:
‘82. Munir Al Qubaysi (alias(a) Munir Al-Kubaysi, (b) Muneer Al-Kubaisi, (c) Munir Awad, (d) Munir A Mamduh Awad).
Date of birth: 1966. Place of birth: Heet, Iraq. Address: Syria. Nationality: Iraqi’.
2/2 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2025/2656/oj