EU extends sanctions against Russia for another six months
The EU Council has adopted a decision on the approval of the proposal to extend individual sanctions against 146 Russian and Ukrainian individuals, and against 37 legal entities. These sanctions were extended for six months, until the 15th of March 2017.
The sanctions apply to people and organizations who the EU considers responsible for the violation of the territorial integrity of Ukraine, and who have caused damage to its sovereignty. Sanctions include the freezing of their bank assets in the EU, and a ban on the issuing of visas for travel to EU countries.
The EU Council’s communiqué, where the decision was announced, reiterates that these measures were introduced in March 2014 and were most recently extended in March 2016.
According to the EU Council, the situation in Ukraine does not give any reason to change the sanctions regime with regard to the individuals and the organizations on the list.
The legal acts will be published in the Official Journal of the EU on the 16th of September 2016, and the decision will take immediate effect.
On the 7th of September, permanent representatives of EU countries agreed on the extension of sanctions against Russia for a further six months.