The EU has lifted the asset freeze on the Zimbabwe Defence Industries (ZDI), the last entity that was on its sanctions list.
Sanctions were first imposed in 2002 after then-President Robert Mugabe expelled the EU’s chief election observer. Over the years, the EU has gradually eased restrictions, leaving only the ZDI asset freeze in place – until now. The EU will maintain an embargo on arms and equipment that could be used for internal repression, it said in a statement on Tuesday.
While there are no more entities under EU sanctions, the EU has renewed its 2011 non-binding Council Decision for another year. This is a framework that empowers the bloc to impose new sanctions on Zimbabwean entities or individuals over human rights should it be necessary. The latest decision comes in the EU’s routine annual review of sanctions on Zimbabwe. The next review is on February 20, 2026.
Says the bloc in a statement: “The EU continues to closely follow developments in Zimbabwe, with a particular attention to the human rights situation, and recalls its readiness to adapt the whole range of its policies accordingly.”
There are no trade restrictions between the two. The EU does not channel development aid through the Government. — newZWire
