Date: 2025-12-16Category: Not ApplicableState: Union GovernmentCountry: Europe
Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2559 of 15 December 2025 implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/2063 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Venezuela
**Executive Summary**
This document is a Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2559 issued on December 15, 2025, which implements Regulation (EU) 2017/2063 concerning restrictive measures against Venezuela. It amends Annex IV to Regulation (EU) 2017/2063 by updating the entries for four natural persons. The regulation takes effect the day after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Amendment to Annex IV:** Annex IV to Regulation (EU) 2017/2063 is amended as per the Annex to this implementing regulation.
* **Updated Entries:** The entries for four natural persons in the list of natural and legal persons, entities, and bodies set out in Annex IV to Regulation (EU) 2017/2063 are replaced.
* **Gustavo Enrique GONZÁLEZ LÓPEZ:** President of Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA). General Director of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN) between April 2019 and October 2024. Date of listing: 22.1.2018
* **Iván HERNÁNDEZ DALA:** President of the National Telephone Company of Venezuela (Cantv). Major-General in FANB. Director-General of the Directorate-General for Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM) between January 2014 and October 2024 and Head of the Presidential Guard between September 2015 and October 2024. Date of listing: 25.6.2018
* **Jorge Elieser MÁRQUEZ MONSALVE:** Minister of Electricity and Vice-President of Public Works and Utilities since 23 April 2024. Former Minister of the Office of the Presidency and Director-General of the National Commission of Telecommunications (CONATEL) since 7 August 2017. Date of listing: 29.6.2020
* **Remigio CEBALLOS ICHASO:** Venezuela's Ambassador to China. Former Minister of the Interior and Justice of Venezuela (August 2021 - August 2024) and Vice-President of the Government for Citizen Security. Date of listing: 22.2.2021'
* **Entry into Force:** The regulation enters into force 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**
**EU Member States**
* **Impact:** Member States are legally bound to implement and enforce the amended regulations concerning restrictive measures against the listed individuals related to Venezuela.
* **Action Required:** Member States must update their national regulations and enforcement mechanisms to reflect the changes outlined in the annex to this implementing regulation, ensuring that restrictive measures (such as asset freezes and travel bans) are applied to the updated list of individuals.
**Listed Individuals (Gustavo Enrique GONZÁLEZ LÓPEZ, Iván HERNÁNDEZ DALA, Jorge Elieser MÁRQUEZ MONSALVE, Remigio CEBALLOS ICHASO)**
* **Impact:** These individuals face continued or possibly adjusted restrictive measures, including potential asset freezes and travel bans within the EU.
* **Action Required:** These individuals may need to seek legal counsel and potentially challenge the measures if they believe the restrictions are unjustified.
**EU Businesses and Citizens**
* **Impact:** EU businesses and citizens are prohibited from dealing with the listed individuals or entities, facing potential legal and financial consequences for non-compliance.
* **Action Required:** Businesses must conduct due diligence to ensure they are not engaging in any transactions or activities that violate the restrictive measures. Citizens must be aware of the restrictions and avoid any prohibited interactions with the listed individuals.
Key Entities Referenced
Regulation (EU) 2017/2063: Council Regulation concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Venezuela. This regulation is being updated by the current implementing regulation.
Venezuela: The location to which the restrictive measures apply.
Annex IV: The annex to Regulation (EU) 2017/2063 which lists natural and legal persons, entities and bodies subject to restrictive measures. The current regulation amends this annex.
Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2559: The main topic, implements restrictive measures by amending Annex IV to Regulation (EU) 2017/2063.
Official Journal EN
of the European Union L series
2025/2559 16.12.2025
COUNCIL IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2025/2559
of 15 December 2025
implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/2063 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in
Venezuela
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EU) 2017/2063 of 13 November 2017 concerning restrictive measures in view of the
situation in Venezuela(1), and in particular Article 17(4) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,
Whereas:
(1) On 13 November 2017, the Council adopted Regulation (EU) 2017/2063.
(2) On the basis of a review of the list of natural and legal persons, entities and bodies set out in Annex IV to Regulation
(EU) 2017/2063, the entries for four natural persons set out therein should be updated.
(3) Annex IV to Regulation (EU) 2017/2063 should therefore be amended accordingly,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
Annex IV to Regulation (EU) 2017/2063 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, 15 December 2025.
For the Council
The President
K. KALLAS
(1) OJ L 295, 14.11.2017, p. 21, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2017/2063/oj.
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2025/2559/oj 1/3ANNEX
In Annex IV to Regulation (EU) 2017/2063, in the list of natural and legal persons, entities and bodies, entries 2, 11, 31 and 37 are replaced by the following:
Name Identifying information Reasons Date of listing
‘2. Gustavo Enrique GONZÁLEZ DOB: 2.11.1960 President of Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA). General Director of the Bolivarian 22.1.2018
LÓPEZ National Intelligence Service (SEBIN) between April 2019 and October 2024. Security
Gender: male
and Intelligence Adviser to President Maduro since January 2019, and General
Director of SEBIN from February 2014 to October 2018. During the times he has
served as SEBIN director, officials under his ultimate authority committed acts of
arbitrary detention, torture and cruel and inhuman treatment, including sexual
violence, in El Helicoide detention centre. As General Director of SEBIN, he is
responsible for serious human rights violations, including arbitrary detention,
inhuman and degrading treatment, and torture, and the repression of civil society and
the democratic opposition in Venezuela.
11. Iván HERNÁNDEZ DALA DOB: 18.5.1966 President of the National Telephone Company of Venezuela (Cantv). Major-General in 25.6.2018
FANB. Director-General of the Directorate-General for Military Counterintelligence
Gender: male
(DGCIM) between January 2014 and October 2024 and Head of the Presidential
Guard between September 2015 and October 2024. As Head of the DGCIM, Iván
Hernández Dala is responsible for the repression of civil society and democratic
opposition and for serious human rights violations committed by members of the
DGCIM under his command, including torture, the use of excessive force and the
ill-treatment of detainees.
2/3
ELI:
http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2025/2559/oj
EN
OJ
L,
16.12.2025Name Identifying information Reasons Date of listing
31. Jorge Elieser MÁRQUEZ DOB: 20.2.1971 Minister of Electricity and Vice-President of Public Works and Utilities since 23 April 29.6.2020
MONSALVE 2024. Former Minister of the Office of the Presidency and Director-General of the
POB: Caracas, Venezuela
National Commission of Telecommunications (CONATEL) since 7 August 2017. His
ID number: V-8714253 actions have undermined democracy or the rule of law in Venezuela, including by
severely limiting the rights of the Venezuelan people to a free press, free speech and
Gender: male information. He used the special powers of CONATEL to silence criticism and
dissidents of the regime by blocking, filtering and obstructing internet websites, by
revoking existing licences for radio and television stations and by refusing to grant
new ones.
37. Remigio CEBALLOS ICHASO DOB: 1.5.1963 Venezuela’s Ambassador to China. Former Minister of the Interior and Justice of 22.2.2021’
Venezuela (August 2021 – August 2024) and Vice-President of the Government for
ID-number: V-6557495
Citizen Security. Former Commander of the Operational and Strategic Command of
Gender: male the Bolivarian National Armed Forces of Venezuela (Comando Estratégico
Operacional Fuerzas Armadas Nacionales Bolivarianas (CEOFANB)), the highest organ
in the Venezuelan Armed Forces (June 2017 – July 2021). CEOFANB controls the
Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) and the Bolivarian National Guard.
CEOFANB is also responsible for coordinating FANB interventions in demonstrations.
In his position as Commander of CEOFANB, he was responsible for serious human
rights violations, including the use of excessive force and inhuman and degrading
treatment by officials of the FANB and by subordinate forces under his command,
including the Bolivarian National Guard. Various sources, including the Independent
International Fact-Finding Mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, attribute
human rights violations to FANB and the Bolivarian National Guard.
ELI:
http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2025/2559/oj
3/3
OJ
L,
16.12.2025
EN