Week of 20 to 26 July 2026
Legislation / Regulation
No notable French text identified for this particular week.
Case Law
No notable decision identified.
International
20 July 2026: the Houthis declare a naval blockade targeting Saudi Arabia, in response to a Saudi blockade of Yemen \u2014 reigniting the Red Sea/Gulf of Aden crisis. On the same day, the EUNAVFOR MED IRINI operation boards the oil tanker \u201cMV South Star\u201d in the Mediterranean, suspected of flying a fraudulent flag as part of efforts to circumvent Russian oil sanctions; the EUNAVFOR Atalanta mandate is expanded to include flag verifications on vessels suspected of belonging to Russia\u2019s \u201cshadow fleet\u201d. 23 July 2026: the EU Council adopts its 21st sanctions package against Russia (Decision (CFSP) 2026/1849, Regulation (EU) 2026/1848 amending Regulation 833/2014) \u2014 suspending the automatic adjustment of the Russian oil price cap until 15 July 2027, adding 41 further vessels to the shadow fleet list (bringing the total to over 670, including bunkering tankers for the first time), extending the designation criteria to bunkering/transshipment service providers, 218 new individual listings, and creating a legal basis allowing Member States to authorize the purchase, import and transfer of seized or confiscated Russian oil. 24 July 2026: appointment of a new arbitrator by the President of ITLOS in the arbitration proceedings brought by Ukraine against the Russian Federation (announcement published on 29 July 2026 on the Tribunal\u2019s website). On the insurance side, war risk premiums for southern Red Sea crossings rise from 0.3% to 1-2% of insured value for a seven-day voyage.
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