Sanctions Profile: Russia

At a glance

EU sanctions on Russia were introduced in 2014 in response to Russia’s involvement in the Ukraine crisis, during which Russia annexed the Crimea region of Ukraine. They were introduced in three phases, each one intending to increase the pressure on Russia until it fully implemented the terms of the Minsk peace agreements.

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The terms of the Minsk agreements include an immediate and full ceasefire, the return of all hostages and illegally held people, and the restoration of Ukrainian control over the Crimea region. In chronological order, the three phases of sanctions imposed were:

  1. Council Regulation (EU) 269/2014 & Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP – asset freezes and travel bans on people said to be involved in undermining the territorial integrity, sovereignty or independence of Ukraine.
  2. Council Regulation (EU) 692/2014 & Council Decision 2014/386/CFSP – ban on the import of goods from, and provision of certain services to, the Crimea and Sevastopol regions of Ukraine.
  3. Council Regulation (EU) 833/2014 & Council Decision 2014/512/CFSP – targets sectors of the Russian economy. They prohibit EU financial transactions with major Russian state banks, restrict access to EU capital markets for some Russian entities, ban the export to Russia of certain energy-exploration equipment, and prevent the sale of arms and some dual-use civilian goods to the country.

The EU also imposes asset freezes on people, chiefly ex-government officials, deemed responsible for the misappropriation of Ukrainian state funds and human rights violations following the change of regime in Ukraine in 2014 (Council Regulation (EU) 208/2014 & Council Decision 2014/119/CFSP). See the Ukraine country profile for further details.

Summary of Current EU Sanctions:

General – Crimea & Sevastopol

  • Ban on the import of goods from Crimea & Sevastopol
  • Ban on the provision of certain services to Crimea & Sevastopol
  • Prohibition on satisfying certain claims made by certain people (including those designated under the Territorial Integrity sanctions)

General – Sectoral

  • Arms embargo
  • Restrictions on access to EU primary and secondary capital markets for five major Russian majority state-owned financial institutions (and their majority-owned subsidiaries established outside of the EU), as well as three major Russian energy and three defence companies (see list here)
  • Ban on the export of certain energy-exploration equipment to Russia

Targeted – Territorial Integrity

  • Asset freeze
  • Travel ban

Designation Criteria

The Territorial Integrity sanctions target:

  1. people responsible for, actively supporting or implementing, actions or policies which undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, or stability or security in Ukraine;
  2. entities or bodies supporting, materially or financially, actions which undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine;
  3. entities or bodies in Crimea or Sevastopol whose ownership has been transferred contrary to Ukrainian law, and entities that have benefitted from such a transfer;
  4. people or entities who activity provide material or financial support to, or are benefitting from, Russian decision-makers responsible for the annexation of Crimea or the destabilisation of Eastern Ukraine; and
  5. people or entities conducting transactions with the separatist groups in the Donbass region of Ukraine.

 

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Court Judgments on Russia Sanctions

News

EU agrees sanctions on Russians re Sea of Azov

As foreshadowed, EU Foreign Ministers agreed yesterday (18 February) to add a number of people to its Russia sanctions list in response to recent events in the Sea of Azov (the seizure of 3 Ukrainian naval vessels and continued detention of 24 Ukrainian sailors in the Kerch Strait). They will be added to the EU’s […]

RussiaRussia UkraineUkraine

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Third countries align with EU Russia sanctions targeting ‘illegal’ Ukraine elections

In December 2018, the EU adopted Council Decision (CFSP) 2018/1930, which added 9 people to its Russia sanctions list targeting actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine (asset freeze and travel ban). The individuals were listed for “their involvement in the so–called ‘elections’ in the so–called ‘Donetsk People’s Republic’ and […]

RussiaRussia UkraineUkraine

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USA & EU discuss further Russia sanctions

Next week, EU Foreign Ministers will be discussing (inter alia) the security situation in Ukraine, including whether new sanctions should be imposed against Russia as part of a coordinated action with the USA. The measures (if imposed) will reportedly target individuals and entities involved in Russian acts against Ukraine in the Sea of Azov; namely, […]

RussiaRussia UkraineUkraine

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Third countries align with EU sanctions on Burma & Russia

In December 2018, the EU adopted: Council Decision (CFSP) 2018/2054, which added 7 people to its Myanmar/Burma sanctions list (see previous blog); and Council Decision (CFSP) 2018/2078, which prolonged the EU’s Russia sectoral sanctions for a further 6 months, until 31 July 2019 (see previous blog). Yesterday (6 February 2019), the EU announced that the […]

Burma / MyanmarBurma / Myanmar RussiaRussia

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OFAC delists RUSAL, En+ Group & EuroSibEnergo

Yesterday (27 January 2019), OFAC lifted sanctions imposed on RUSAL, En+ Group, and JSC EuroSibEnergo. The US Treasury first informed Congress of its intention to terminate these sanctions on 19 December 2018 (see previous blog). Under the terms of their de-listing, RUSAL, En+ Group, and JSC EuroSibEnergo have reduced Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska’s shareholding in the companies […]

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Current Sanctions

EU UK

Consolidated - Sectoral Sanctions

Council Regulation (EU) 833/2014

Parent Regulation - Sectoral Sanctions

Council Regulation (EU) 833/2014

Amended by:

Council Regulation (EU) 960/2014

Council Regulation (EU) 1290/2014

Council Regulation (EU) 2015/1797

Council Regulation (EU) 2017/2212

Consolidated - Sectoral Sanctions

Council Decision 2014/512/CFSP

Parent Decision - Sectoral Sanctions

Council Decision 2014/512/CFSP

Amended by:

Council Decision 2014/659/CFSP

Council Decision 2014/872/CFSP

Council Decision (CFSP) 2015/971

Council Decision (CFSP) 2015/1764

Council Decision (CFSP) 2015/2431

Council Decision (CFSP) 2016/1071

Council Decision (CFSP) 2016/2315

Council Decision (CFSP) 2017/1148

Council Decision (CFSP) 2017/2214

Council Decision (CFSP) 2017/2426

Council Decision (CFSP) 2018/964

Council Decision (CFSP) 2018/2078

Consolidated - Ukraine Territorial Integrity

Council Regulation (EU) 269/2014

Parent Regulation - Ukraine Territorial Integrity

Council Regulation (EU) 269/2014

Amended by:

Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 284/2014

Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 433/2014

Council Regulation (EU) 476/2014

Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 477/2014

Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 577/2014

Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 753/2014

Council Regulation (EU) 783/2014

Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 810/2014

Council Regulation (EU) 811/2014

Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 826/2014

Council Regulation (EU) 959/2014

Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 961/2014

Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 1225/2014

Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 1270/2014

Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/240

Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/427

Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/1514

Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/353

Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1661

Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1955

Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/437

Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1374

Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1417

Council Regulation (EU) 2017/1547

Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1549

Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/2153

Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/388

Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/705

Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1072

Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1230

Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1929

Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/92

Consolidated - Ukraine Territorial Integrity

Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP

Parent Decison - Ukraine Territorial Integrity

Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP

Amended by:

Council Implementing Decision 2014/151/CFSP

Council Implementing Decision 2014/238/CFSP

Council Decision 2014/265/CFSP

Council Decision 2014/308/CFSP

Council Decision 2014/455/CFSP

Council Decision 2014/475/CFSP

Council Decision 2014/499/CFSP

Council Decision 2014/508/CFSP

Council Decision 2014/658/CFSP

Council Decision 2014/801/CFSP

Council Decision 2014/855/CFSP

Council Decision (CFSP) 2015/241

Council Decision (CFSP) 2015/432

Council Decision (CFSP) 2015/1524

Council Decision (CFSP) 2016/359

Council Decision (CFSP) 2016/1671

Council Decision (CFSP) 2016/1961

Council Decision (CFSP) 2017/445

Council Decision (CFSP) 2017/1386

Council Decision (CFSP) 2017/1418

Council Decision (CFSP) 2017/1561

Council Decision (CFSP) 2017/2163

Council Decision (CFSP) 2018/392

Council Decision (CFSP) 2018/706

Council Decision (CFSP) 2018/1085

Council Decision (CFSP) 2018/1237

Council Decision (CFSP) 2018/1930

Council Decision (CFSP) 2019/95

Consolidated - Crimea & Sevastopol

Council Regulation (EU) 692/2014

Parent Regulation - Crimea & Sevastopol

Council Regulation (EU) 692/2014

Amended by:

Council Regulation (EU) 825/2014

Council Regulation (EU) 1351/2014

Consolidated - Crimea & Sevastopol

Council Decision 2014/386/CFSP

Parent Decision - Crimea & Sevastopol

Council Decision 2014/386/CFSP

Amended by:

Council Decision 2014/507/CFSP

Council Decision 2014/933/CFSP

Council Decision (CFSP) 2015/959

Council Decision (CFSP) 2016/982

Council Decision (CFSP) 2017/1087

Council Decision (CFSP) 2018/880

Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018

Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 (Commencement No 1) Regulations 2018

Sanctions Review Procedure (EU Exit) Regulations 2018

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