The Council of the European Union has issued a corrigendum on 5 August 2026 to correct a language error in the French version of Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/504 of 23 April 2026, which amends restrictive measures concerning actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. The correction affects only the French text of the listing for LLC "Irz-Svyaz", changing the phrase "entreprise systématiquement importante" to "société d'importance systémique" (systemically important company) in the grounds for listing. No other content changes are made, and the substance of the designation remains unchanged.
The corrigendum, published as a legislative act, is a purely linguistic fix under Procedure 2(b), which applies to obvious errors. It targets entry No. 719 on page 60 of the annex, under "Entities", specifically the third column "Grounds for listing". Member States were given until Friday, 7 August, 17:00 to submit observations to the Council's Directorate Quality of Legislation (Legal Service) at dql.rectificatifs@consilium.europa.eu. The procedure reflects the Council's standard practice for correcting language versions without altering the legal effect of the original decision.
Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/504, adopted on 23 April 2026, is part of the EU's ongoing sanctions regime against Russia, first established by Decision 2014/145/CFSP in response to actions undermining Ukraine's territorial integrity. The April amendment updated listings in line with the EU's broader sanctions policy, which has been regularly reviewed and extended since 2014. The corrigendum does not affect the listing's substance, the obligations imposed on EU operators, or the asset freeze and travel bans associated with designated entities.
The impact of this corrigendum is minimal. For EU member states and EU institutions, it ensures legal clarity and consistency in the French language version, which is one of the EU's official languages and used in legal proceedings. For EU businesses and financial institutions that must comply with sanctions, the correction removes potential ambiguity in interpreting the grounds for listing Irz-Svyaz, though the designation itself remains in force. For the designated entity, the change is purely linguistic and does not alter its legal status under EU sanctions. The correction also underscores the EU's attention to legal precision in its sanctions instruments, which is important for judicial review and enforcement.
No further institutional follow-up is expected beyond the publication of the corrigendum. The Council's Legal Service will process any observations from member states, but given the technical nature of the fix, no substantive debate or additional amendments are anticipated. The underlying sanctions regime continues to be reviewed periodically, with the next regular update likely to follow the Council's established cycle.