The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI), which is part of HM Treasury and works to ensure that financial sanctions are properly implemented and enforced in the UK, has updated a number of financial sanctions currently in force. The recent updates are as follows: Financial sanctions, Libya; Financial sanctions, Ukraine (Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity); Financial sanctions, North Korea (Democratic People’s … 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
As a result of a freedom of information request, HM Treasury has published responses it received to its consultation on “[t]he process for imposing monetary penalties for breaches of financial sanctions”. See here for public responses, and here for HM Treasury’s own consultation response.… Continue Reading
On 29 May, the Council of the European Union adopted Council Implementing Regulation 2017/904, which implements Regulation (EC) No 1183/2005. With respect to the Democratic Republic of Congo, asset freezes now apply to nine individuals, which can be found in the Annex of Council Implementing Regulation 2017/904. The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation’s (OFSI) notice … Continue Reading
Following the coming into force of Part 8 of the Policing and Crime Act 2017, which introduces new monetary penalties for breaches of financial sanctions, OFSI has published guidance on the new regime, including: Guidance on monetary penalties for breaches of financial sanctions A response to OFSI’s consultation on the process for imposing monetary penalties … Continue Reading
The new Policing and Crime Act 2017 (the Act), which comes into force in April 2017, provides HM Treasury with enforcement powers to punish breaches of financial sanctions. Under the Policing and Crime Act 2017, HM Treasury has the power to impose monetary penalties if it is satisfied that a person acted in breach of … Continue Reading
With effect from 1 March 2017, the EU has amended its financial sanctions against the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea to include additional prohibitions. In summary: (1) with effect from 1 March 2017, it is prohibited to open a new bank account held or controlled by a North Korean diplomatic mission, consular post or … Continue Reading
In February 2015, the UK Divisional Court referred questions to the ECJ for a preliminary ruling in the course of Rosneft’s judicial review proceedings challenging UK legislation that gives effect to EU sanctions against Russia. The questions referred concerned the interpretation and validity of Council Decision 2014/512/CFSP and Council Regulation (EU) 833/2014. In response to … Continue Reading
The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) is currently consulting on its draft guidance on monetary penalties for breaches of financial sanctions within the context of new civil powers in the Policing and Crime Act 2017. This guidance sets out how OFSI will assess whether to impose monetary penalties and how those penalties will be … Continue Reading
