European Union Sets 11th Package of Sanctions Against Russia

On Wednesday, the countries of the European Union (EU) approved a new package of sanctions against Russia, which aims to prevent the previously imposed sanctions from being bypassed through third countries.

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“I welcome the political agreement on our 11th package of sanctions,” the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, adding that the new sanctions will deal “a new blow” to President Vladimir Putin’s “war machinery.”

She also specified that the “anti-evasion” tool of the European Union will prevent Russia from obtaining goods subject to sanctions by imposing stricter restrictions on exports.

To minimize the risk of evading the sactions, the 11th package introduces prohibitions on the transit through Russian territory of goods and technology that could contribute to Russia’s military and technological improvement or the development of its defense and security sector.

Furthermore, the new package includes the possibility of adopting new exceptional measures as a “last resort” to restrict the sale, supply, transfer, or export of sensitive dual-use goods and technology to third countries whose jurisdiction “demonstrates a continuous and particularly high risk of being used for evasion.” 

The 11th package also extends the suspension of broadcasting licenses in the European Union for five Russian media outlets and the prohibition of broadcasting their content.

Another agreed measure is the prohibition of access to ports and locks in the EU territory for ships involved in transshipments between vessels when competent authorities have “reasonable grounds” to suspect that they are infringing the prohibition on the maritime import of Russian crude oil and petroleum products into the European Union.

The new sanctions have also established limits on the importation of goods if there is suspicion that ships are transporting Russian crude oil or derivatives acquired above the maximum price agreed upon by Australia, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the U.S.

The 11th package expands the blacklist to include 71 additional individuals and 33 institutions allegedly involved in the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. The assets held by these individuals and institutions in the European Union will be frozen. European authorities have also added new criteria for the inclusion of individuals and institutions on the blacklist.

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