The Commission will present measures to include corruption in the EU’s human rights sanctions regime

“That is why in the coming year the Commission will present measures to update our legislative framework for fighting corruption. We will raise standards on offences such as illicit enrichment, trafficking in influence and abuse of power, beyond the more classic offences such as bribery. And we will also propose to include corruption in our […]

Implementation of EU sanctions against Russia

Commission adopts proposal for “maintenance and alignment” package The European Commission has today adopted a joint (High Representative-Commission) proposal for a new package of measures to maintain and strengthen the effectiveness of the EU’s six wide-ranging and unprecedented packages of sanctions against Russia. OJ L 2022 193 FULL EN TXT https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L:2022:193:TOC PRESS RELEASE

Ukraine: The Commission proposes rules on freezing and confiscating assets of oligarchs violating restrictive measures and of criminals

Today, the European Commission is proposing to add the violation of EU restrictive measures to the list of EU crimes. The Commission is also proposing new reinforced rules on asset recovery and confiscation, which will also contribute to the implementation of EU restrictive measures. While the Russian aggression on Ukraine is ongoing, it is paramount […]

EU adopts fifth round of sanctions against Russia over its military aggression against Ukraine

5TH package COUNCIL DECISION (CFSP) 2022:578 COUNCIL REGULATION (EU) 2022:576 COUNCIL DECISION (CFSP) 2022:582 COUNCIL IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2022:581 COUNCIL REGULATION (EU) 2022:580 EU agrees fifth package of sanctions against Russia Ukraine__EU_agrees_fifth_package_of_restrictive_measures_against_Russia The package comprises: – a prohibition to purchase, import or transfer coal and other solid fossil fuels into the EU if they originate […]

Statement on the fifth round of sanctions against Russia

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/statement_22_2281 Press_statement_by_President_von_der_Leyen This fifth package has six pillars. First, we will impose an import ban on coal from Russia, worth EUR 4 billion per year. This will cut another important revenue source for Russia. Second: a full transaction ban on four key Russian banks, among them VTB, the second largest Russian bank. These four banks, […]

The President of the General Court rejects RT France’s request to suspend the sanctions adopted by the Council

On 24 February 2022, the Russian Federation began a military operation in Ukraine. By acts of March 1, 2022 1, the Council of the European Union introduced a series of measures to suspend the broadcasting activities of certain media, including RT France, in or towards the Union. According to the Council, the Russian Federation has […]

Enforcing sanctions against listed Russian and Belarussian oligarchs: Commission’s “Freeze and Seize” Task Force steps up work with international partners

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_22_1828 The European Commission’s ‘Freeze and Seize’ Task Force, set up to ensure EU-level coordination to implement sanctions against listed Russian and Belarussian oligarchs, has now stepped up its action at international level. It will work alongside the newly established ‘Russian Elites, Proxies, and Oligarchs (REPO)’ Task Force, under which the EU operates together with […]

Ukraine: EU agrees fourth package of restrictive measures against Russia

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_22_1761 The agreed measures are the following: – A full prohibition of any transactions with certain Russian State-owned enterprises across different sectors – the Kremlin’s military-industrial complex. – An EU import ban on those steel products currently under EU safeguard measures, amounting to approximately € 3.3 billion in lost export revenue for Russia. Increased import […]

Statement on the fourth package of restrictive measures against Russia

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/statement_22_1724 “First, we will deny Russia the status of most-favoured-nation in our markets. This will revoke important benefits that Russia enjoys as a WTO member. Russian companies will no longer receive privileged treatment in our economies. We will also work to suspend Russia’s membership rights in leading multilateral financial institutions, including the International Monetary Fund […]

Ukraine: EU agrees to extend the scope of sanctions on Russia and Belarus

The European Commission welcomes today’s agreement of Member States to adopt further targeted sanctions in view of the situation in Ukraine and in response to Belarus’s involvement in the aggression. In particular, the new measures impose restrictive measures on 160 individuals and amend Regulation (EC) 765/2006 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in […]

Further EU restrictive measures against Russia

The Council today introduced further restrictive measures in view of the Russian Federation’s unprovoked and unjustified military aggression against Ukraine. The Council decided in particular to prohibit: the provision of specialised financial messaging services, which are used to exchange financial data (SWIFT), to Bank Otkritie, Novikombank, Promsvyazbank, Rossiya Bank, Sovcombank, VNESHECONOMBANK (VEB), and VTB BANK’. […]

Belarus’ role in the Russian military aggression of Ukraine: sanctions on additional 22 individuals and further restrictions on trade

Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/353 of 2 March 2022 implementing Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/354 of 2 March 2022 amending Decision 2014/145/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial […]

Joint Statement on further restrictive economic measures (European Commission, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States)

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/statement_22_1423 We, the leaders of the European Commission, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States condemn Putin’s war of choice and attacks on the sovereign nation and people of Ukraine. We stand with the Ukrainian government and the Ukrainian people in their heroic efforts to resist Russia’s invasion. Russia’s war represents […]

Press statement by President von der Leyen on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine

Early this morning, Russian troops invaded Ukraine, a free and sovereign country. Once again, in the centre of Europe, innocent women, men and children are dying or fear for their lives. We condemn this barbaric attack, and the cynical arguments to justify it. It is President Putin, who is bringing war back to Europe. In […]

E3 statement on the JCPoA: 7 December 2020

The governments of France, Germany and the UK respond to Iranian plans to expand its nuclear programme and restrict IAEA monitoring access. Statement by the governments of France, Germany and the United Kingdom: We, the governments of France, Germany and the United Kingdom have worked tirelessly to preserve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA). […]

USTR: Response to Coronavirus Crisis

Invites Public Comments to Identify Additional Products Potentially Helpful to U.S. Response Washington, DC – Throughout the process of administering its Section 301 action to combat China’s acts, policies and practices related to technology transfer, intellectual property, and innovation, the United States has prioritized health considerations, and it is taking additional action for that objective […]

Bachelet calls for easing of sanctions to enable medical systems to fight COVID-19 and limit global contagion

Arabic | Chinese | French | Russian | Spanish GENEVA (24 March 2020) – Broad sectoral sanctions should urgently be re-evaluated in countries facing the coronavirus pandemic, in light of their potentially debilitating impact on the health sector and human rights, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said Tuesday. “It is vital to […]

Department of Justice Announces Indictment Charging Russians, Italians and Others With Attempting to Evade Security Sanctions Individuals and Companies Disguised Destination of Mining Equipment

A newly unsealed superseding indictment has charged Russian and Italian nationals, a U.S. citizen and various companies in a conspiracy to evade international trade sanctions. The United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia unsealed the superseding indictment on Dec. 2, 2019, charging two Russian nationals, two Italian nationals, a U.S. citizen, and […]

A presentation and technical advice on using cryptocurrency and blockchain technology to evade sanctions

Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, John C. Demers, the Assistant Attorney General for National Security, John Brown, Assistant Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) Counterintelligence Division, and William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the FBI, announced […]