On 11 December 2017, the Council extended its current sanctions regime against the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) until 12 December 2018. These sanctions were adopted in response to the obstruction of the electoral process and the related human rights violations in DRC (See Council (CFSP) Decision 2017/2282). EU Candidate Countries Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania, … Continue Reading
On 11 January 2018, the EU amended its list under Council Regulation No 881/2002 imposing certain specific restrictive measures directed against persons and entities associated with the ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida organisations (See Commission Implementing Regulation No 2018/50).… Continue Reading
On 22 January 2018, the EU froze the assets of seven Venezuelan officials, notably including the Minister for Interior, the head of the Intelligence Service, the head of the National Electoral Council and the President of the Supreme Court of Justice. These individuals are considered by the EU to be “involved in the non-respect of … Continue Reading
On 8 January 2018, the EU aligned its North Korea sanctions list with part of UN Security Council Resolution 2397 adopted on 22 December 2017. Sixteen persons and one entity, the Ministry of the People‘s Armed Forces, have been added to the list of those subject to an asset freeze and travel restrictions (See Council … Continue Reading
On 21 December 2017, the Council of the European Union prolonged sanctions targeting sectors of the Russian economy until 31 July 2018 (See Council Decision (CFSP) 2017/2426). The restrictive measures include limited access to EU primary and secondary capital markets for certain Russian banks and companies, an export and import ban on trade in arms, … Continue Reading
On 10 January 2018, the European Commission published important notice warning of the consequences that Brexit will have in the field of industrial products[1], which are subject to CE Marking requirements when placed on the European Union (EU) market. For those products, the European Commission confirmed that, to demonstrate compliance with CE Marking requirements for … Continue Reading
On 16 December, the European Commission’s updates to the EU dual-use export control list entered into force. On 26 September 2017, the commission adopted the annual Delegated Regulation (2017/2268), which was published in the Official Journal on 15 December, updating the EU dual-use export control list in Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 428/2009. The … Continue Reading
On 7 November, the UK Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation issued a Financial Sanctions Notice confirming that, as of that date, no individuals or entities had been included in Annex I of the EU Regulation. This remains the case at the date of this post. By way of background, on 17 October 2017, the UK … Continue Reading
The UK Export Control Organisation (ECO) amended nine open general export licences (OGELs) in response to amendments to the EU dual-use export control list in Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 428/2009.… Continue Reading
In November, the UK passed the Venezuela (European Union Financial Sanctions) Regulations 2017. The regulations follow the EU’s recent sanctions on Venezuela as part of Council Regulation (EU) 2017/2063. They cover offences, penalties and other provisions, such as reporting obligations. On 15 November, the UK Department for International Trade published a notice to exporters (Notice … Continue Reading
On 30 November, the EU amended its Russia prohibitions to allow “[t]he provision, directly or indirectly, of technical assistance, financing or financial assistance” related to the sale, supply, transfer or export and the import, purchase or transport of hydrazine in concentrations of 70% or more, provided that it is for named purposes concerning the ExoMars … Continue Reading
On 23 November, the EU Trade Committee voted to extend EU export controls to include cyber-surveillance technologies (i.e. ones that could be used not only for civilian purposes, but also in violation of human rights). The new rules would essentially modernise the existing dual-use regulation (428/2009) to encompass cyber-surveillance items that might be used as … Continue Reading
On 13 November, the Foreign Affairs Council of the EU adopted conclusions on Venezuela, including the imposition of an arms embargo. On the back of a UN report that described a “worsening human rights situation … within a wider severe economic and social crisis in the country and an increasingly unstable and polarized national political … Continue Reading
On 7 November 2017, the UK Government published the Trade Bill, having introduced it to Parliament for its First Reading. Together with the Customs Bill, it is designed to give the UK the powers necessary to bring existing EU trade agreements into UK statute so that when the UK officially withdraws from the EU, businesses … Continue Reading
On 19 October, the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) published new guidance and a FAQs factsheet to assist charities and NGOs to understand their obligations under financial sanctions and the OFSI’s approach to licencing and compliance issues.… Continue Reading
On 18 October, the Sanctions and Anti-money Laundering Bill was introduced to Parliament. It will provide the government with the legal powers it needs to continue implementing sanctions following Brexit and to maintain existing sanctions regimes that currently derive from EU law.… Continue Reading
On 17 October, the UK published the Republic of Mali (European Union Financial Sanctions) Regulations 2017 (SI 2017/972). These follow Council Regulation (EU) 2017/1770 of 28 September 2017, which imposed “travel restrictions and the freezing of funds and economic resources of certain of persons designated by the United Nations Security Council as responsible for or complicit in, or having … Continue Reading
On 23 October, the EU renewed existing sanctions on Guinea until 27 October 2018, and those on Moldova until 31 October 2018. It also published a notice to those on the Guinea list renewing their inclusion in the Annex to Council Decision 2010/638/CFSP and Annex II to Council Regulation (EU) No 1284/2009, explaining that they may request that this be … Continue Reading
On 20 October, the European Commission initiated the new anti-dumping investigation against imports of electric bicycles from China. The product concerned is cycles with pedal assistance and auxiliary electric motors. The complaint was lodged by the European Bicycle Manufactures Association, which claims that the imports of electric bicycles from China undercut and undersell the EU industry by substantial margins.… Continue Reading
On 25 October, the EU adopted Council Implementing Decision (CFSP) 2017/1948 and Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1942, updating information on its Sudan sanctions list concerning Mr Alnsiem (see Annex I to Council Regulation (EU) No 747/2014).… Continue Reading
On 16 October, with respect to Myanmar/Burma, the Council of the EU issued a statement in which it stated that “the Council may consider additional measures if the situation does not improve but also stands ready to respond accordingly to positive developments”. In April, the EU renewed existing sanctions on Myanmar/Burma imposing an embargo on goods that might be used … Continue Reading
On 16 October, in the wake of US President Trump’s decision not to certify Iran’s compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the EU issued a statement saying that “it is committed to the continued full and effective implementation of all parts of the JCPOA”. Furthermore, that “the European Union considers President Trump’s decision not to certify Iran’s … Continue Reading
On 16 October, the Foreign Affairs Council adopted new EU autonomous measures reinforcing the sanctions on North Korea imposed by the UN Security Council, effective immediately. They include a total ban on EU investment in North Korea across all sectors, whereas previously the ban related to certain sectors, such as the arms industry and chemical industries. Also, there is a … Continue Reading
