In response to
the illegal annexation of Crimea and deliberate destabilisation of a
neighbouring sovereign country, the EU has imposed restrictive measures against
the Russian Federation.
Overview
The European Union
is focusing on de-escalating the crisis in Ukraine and on assisting Ukraine in
ensuring a stable, prosperous and democratic future for all its citizens. The
EU has been unwavering in its support for the country's territorial integrity and
sovereignty. It sees the full implementation of the Minsk agreements as the
basis for a sustainable political solution to the conflict in the country's
east. Since spring 2014, the EU has been stepping up its support to economic
and political reforms in Ukraine.
In March 2014, the
European Council agreed the first diplomatic measures in response to Russian
actions in Ukraine. EU leaders also set out a second stage of further measures
in the absence of de-escalatory steps and additional far-reaching consequences
for EU-Russia relations in case of further destabilisation of the situation in
Ukraine.
The European Union
has strongly condemned Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea and does not
recognise it. In the absence of de-escalatory steps by the Russian Federation,
on 17 March 2014 the EU imposed the first travel bans and asset freezes against
persons involved in actions against Ukraine's territorial integrity.
In view of
Russia's actions destabilising the situation in eastern Ukraine, the EU imposed
economic sanctions in July 2014 and reinforced them in September 2014. In March
2015, the European Council linked the duration of those economic restrictions
to the complete implementation of the Minsk agreements.
The EU remains
ready to reverse its decisions and reengage with Russia when it starts
contributing actively and without ambiguities to finding a solution to the
Ukrainian crisis.
Diplomatic
measures
Instead of the G8
summit in Sochi, a G7 meeting was held in Brussels on 4-5 June 2014. EU Member
States supported the suspension of negotiations over Russia's joining the OECD
and the International Energy Agency.
The EU-Russia
summit was cancelled and EU Member States decided not to hold regular bilateral
summits. Bilateral talks with Russia on visa matters as well as on the New
Agreement between the EU and Russia were suspended.
Restrictive
measures (asset freezes and visa bans)
Asset freezes and
visa bans apply to 149 persons while 37 entities are subject to a freeze of
their assets in the EU. This includes persons and entities responsible for
action against Ukraine's territorial integrity, persons providing support to or
benefitting Russian decision-makers and 13 entities in Crimea and Sevastopol
that were confiscated or that have benefitted from a transfer of ownership
contrary to Ukrainian law.
Restrictions for
Crimea and Sevastopol
As part of the
EU's non-recognition policy of the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol,
the EU has imposed substantial restrictions on economic exchanges with the
territory. These include:
A ban on imports
of goods originating in Crimea or Sevastopol unless they have Ukrainian
certificates;
A prohibition to
invest in Crimea. Europeans and EU-based companies can no longer buy real
estate or entities in Crimea, finance Crimean companies or supply related
services. In addition, they may not invest in infrastructure projects in six
sectors;
A ban on providing
tourism services in Crimea or Sevastopol. European cruise ships may not call at
ports in the Crimean peninsula, except in case of emergency. This applies to all
ships owned or controlled by a European or flying the flag of an EU Member
State.
Goods and
technology for the transport, telecommunications and energy sectors or the
exploration of oil, gas and mineral resources may not be exported to Crimean
companies or for use in Crimea;
Technical
assistance, brokering, construction or engineering services related to
infrastructure in the same sectors must not be provided.
EU nationals and
companies may no longer buy or sell new bonds, equity or similar financial
instruments with a maturity exceeding 30 days, issued by:
five major
state-owned Russian banks;
three major
Russian energy companies;
three major
Russian defence companies;
subsidiaries
outside the EU of the entities above, and those acting on their behalf or at
their direction.
Assistance in
relation to the issuing of such financial instruments is also prohibited.
EU nationals and
companies may also not provide loans with a maturity exceeding 30 days to the
entities described above.
Embargo on the
import and export of arms and related material from/to Russia, covering all
items on the EU common military list, with some
exceptions.
Prohibition on
exports of dual use goods and technology for military use in Russia or to
Russian military end-users, including all items in the EU list of dual use goods
. Export of dual use goods to nine mixed end-users is also banned.
. Export of dual use goods to nine mixed end-users is also banned.
Exports of certain
energy-related equipment and technology to Russia are subject to prior
authorisation by competent authorities of Member States. Export licenses will
be denied if products are destined for oil exploration and production in waters
deeper than 150 meters or in the offshore area north of the Arctic Circle, and
projects that have the potential to produce oil from resources located in shale
formations by way of hydraulic fracturing.
The following
services necessary for the abovementioned projects may not be supplied:
drilling, well testing, logging and completion services and supply of
specialised floating vessels.
Measures
concerning economic cooperation
On 16 July, the
European Council requested the EIB to suspend the signature of new financing
operations in the Russian Federation. European Union Member States will
coordinate their positions within the EBRD Board of Directors with a view to
also suspending financing of new operations.
The implementation
of EU-Russia bilateral and regional cooperation programmes has been largely
suspended. Projects dealing exclusively with cross-border cooperation and civil
society are maintained.
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