The 27 member states of the EU agreed this Thursday evening to adopt new sanctions against Russia, in response to the war started by Moscow in Ukraine, announced the Czech presidency of the EU.
The European Commission presented this new sanctions package on December 7, proposing to add nearly 200 individuals and entities to the EU blacklist, including the Russian armed forces and three of the country’s banks.
A ninth sanctions package
Brussels had also recommended prohibiting any new investment in the Russian mining sector and tightening restrictions on trade in dual-use goods, civil and military, targeting chemicals, nerve agents and electronic and computer components.
The European executive also proposed banning the export to Russia of components for manufacturing drones, as well as the suspension of four new Russian media accused of participating in Kremlin propaganda.
The agreement on this 9th package of European sanctions against Moscow was reached unanimously between the ambassadors of the Twenty-Seven in Brussels, on the sidelines of a summit of European leaders. It will now have to be approved by written procedure, the Czech EU presidency said on Twitter, without immediately giving details on what the states have approved.
Embargo already in place
Two countries, Poland and Lithuania, were openly concerned about certain possibilities for derogations provided by Brussels in the context of these new sanctions. According to a diplomatic source, the text finally approved maintains the possibility of derogating from the sanctions in the name of food security and fertilizer supply needs, in the event of a risk for one of the Member States.
Blacklisting leads to a freezing of assets and a ban on entry into EU territory. Started in 2014 after the annexation of Crimea, this list already includes 1,241 individuals and 118 entities.
These new sanctions will be added in particular to the total embargo on imports of Russian oil transported by sea, which came into force at the beginning of December in parallel with a global cap on the price of Russian crude oil decided with the G7 and Australia.