13/06/2025
EU Insight 13 June 2025
Brussels, 13 June 2025
EU UNVEILS 18th SANCTIONS PACKAGE TARGETING RUSSIA
The European Commission presented its 18th package of sanctions on Russia, seeking to increase economic pressure as the war in Ukraine drags on. The new measures focus on further weakening Russia’s energy revenues, including a lower oil price cap ($45 per barrel, down from $60), the addition of 77 shadow fleet tankers to the sanctions list, and a ban on transactions related to the Nord Stream pipelines. The proposed package also targets the financial sector, introducing a full transaction ban for 22 further Russian banks and tightening controls on third-country operators assisting in sanctions evasion. While most Member States seem supportive of the proposal, opposition from Slovakia is expected to delay its adoption.
EU LAUNCHES OCEAN PACT AT UN CONFERENCE IN NICE
As ocean ecosystems face accelerating threats from climate change and pollution, leaders and delegates from around the world gathered this week in Nice for the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference. While the conference’s outcomes are not legally enforceable, it serves as a global platform for countries to highlight new initiatives and reaffirm pledges on ocean sustainability. At the event, the EU launched its first-ever European Ocean Pact, which sets ambitious targets to restore 20% of Europe’s marine ecosystems by 2030, halve plastic and nutrient pollution and promote resilience in coastal areas. The pact also pledges €1 billion for global ocean projects and greater investment in science and enforcement.
EU AND UK AGREE TO OPEN BORDER FOR GIBRALTAR POST-BREXIT
After years of post-Brexit negotiations, the EU and UK have reached an agreement determining Gibraltar’s status. The deal will remove physical checks on people and goods crossing between Spain and Gibraltar, benefiting thousands of daily commuters and streamlining trade in the region. At Gibraltar’s port and airport, new dual controls by Spanish and British authorities will replace routine passport checks at the land border, integrating the territory more closely with the Schengen area. The agreement also lays the groundwork for deeper cooperation on customs, taxation and law enforcement, aiming to boost economic stability and cross-border ties.
COUNCIL TAKES A STEP TOWARD TOUGHER FOREIGN INVESTMENT SCREENING
EU ambassadors have endorsed the Council’s negotiating position on new rules for screening foreign direct investment (FDI), as the bloc sharpens its focus on economic security. The revised framework would require every Member State to set up a screening system to assess investments in sensitive sectors such as defence and dual-use goods, and to catch attempts to bypass oversight through EU-based intermediaries. The aim is to better protect against foreign takeovers that could pose risks to public security or order, while harmonising standards across the EU. Talks with the Parliament are expected to begin soon to finalise the legislation.
COMMISSION UPDATES LIST OF HIGH-RISK COUNTRIES FOR FINANCIAL CRIME
In a continued effort to safeguard the EU financial system, the Commission has updated its list of countries deemed high-risk for money laundering and terrorist financing, in line with recommendations from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Newly flagged jurisdictions include Algeria, Monaco and Lebanon, while others, such as Panama and the United Arab Emirates, have been removed after demonstrating progress in tackling financial crime. As a result, the update means banks and other EU-covered entities must apply stricter controls to transactions involving listed countries, aiming to shield the EU market from illicit money flows and strengthen overall financial integrity.
COMING UP NEXT WEEK
- 15-17 June: Informal meeting of agriculture ministers.
- 16 June: Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council. On the agenda: REPowerEU, energy security.
- 16-17 June: G7 Summit.
- 16-19 June: Parliament’s Plenary. On the agenda: Clean industrial deal, RRF, Russia’s war against Ukraine, energy Charter Treaty.
- 17 June: College of Commissioners. On the agenda: 2024 Annual management and performance report for the EU budget, fifth Omnibus on defence, review of the Securitisation Framework.
- 17 June: Environment Council.On the agenda: end-of-life vehicles, EU at COP30.
- 19 June: Eurogroup.
- 19-20 June: Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council. On the agenda: traineeships, equal treatment, gender equality in the AI-driven digital age, older people in the labour market, critical medicines act, mental health, prevention.
- 20 June: Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN). On the agenda: customs reform, European Semester, Stability and Growth Pact, enlargement of the Euro area.
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