EU Approves 11th Package Of Russian Sanctions Tightening, Expanding Enforcement

The European Council has adopted the 11th package of sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, extending some restrictions and adding dozens of new entities around the world to its list as it tries to stop other countries and companies from circumventing previously imposed measures.

The council published the sanctions after their approval on June 23, saying the package will ensure that EU sanctions against Russia "are even better enforced and implemented, based on the lessons learned from implementation over the past year."

The latest sanctions aim to close loopholes so that goods and technology vital to Russia’s war effort don't reach Russia via nations that trade with the EU.

The council said it added to its sanctions list 87 new entities that the EU says are "directly supporting Russia's military and industrial complex in its war of aggression against Ukraine." Those companies, the bloc said, are registered in China, Uzbekistan, the United Arab Emirates, Syria, and Armenia.

"Systems are being put in place in some countries for monitoring, controlling, and blocking reexports," it said. "Anomalous, skyrocketing trade figures for some very specific products/countries are hard evidence that Russia is actively attempting to circumvent sanctions. This calls for us to redouble our efforts in tackling circumvention and to ask our neighbors for even closer cooperation."

The new package allows the implementation of measures restricting the export of sensitive dual-use goods and technology to third countries that could then transfer them to Russia. The new rules allow the EU to exert much more pressure to end the practice than before.

EU officials have long been concerned about a surge of demand for EU products from Russia's neighbors that have maintained trading relationships with Moscow.

The package also extends the suspension of EU broadcasting licenses to five additional Russian state-controlled media, bringing the number of outlets to 10, plus five subsidiaries of Russia Today.

In addition, the package bans access to EU ports for ships that engage in ship-to-ship transfers of crude oil or petroleum products at sea if there is cause to suspect the cargo was of Russian origin.