BRUSSELS (Realist English). The Council of the European Union has published the fifth package of anti-Russian sanctions, which provides for a ban on the export of high-tech products from the EU and the import of a number of goods from Russia.
The fifth package of sanctions includes the following restrictions with regard to Russia:
- a prohibition to purchase, import or transfer coal and other solid fossil fuels into the EU if they originate in Russia or are exported from Russia, as from August 2022. Imports of coal into the EU are currently worth EUR 8 billion per year.
- a prohibition to provide access to EU ports to vessels registered under the flag of Russia. Derogations are granted for agricultural and food products, humanitarian aid, and energy.
- a ban on any Russian and Belarusian road transport undertaking preventing them from transporting goods by road within the EU, including in transit. Derogations are nonetheless granted for a number of products, such as pharmaceutical, medical, agricultural and food products, including wheat, and for road transport for humanitarian purposes.
- further export bans, targeting jet fuel and other goods such as quantum computers and advanced semiconductors, high-end electronics, software, sensitive machinery and transportation equipment, and new import bans on products such as: wood, cement, fertilisers, seafood and liquor. The agreed export and import bans only account for EUR 10 billion and EUR 5.5 billion respectively.
- a series of targeted economic measures intended to strengthen existing measures and close loopholes, such as: a general EU ban on participation of Russian companies in public procurement in member states, the exclusion of all financial support to Russian public bodies. an extended prohibition on deposits to crypto-wallets, and on the sale of banknotes and transferrable securities denominated in any official currencies of the EU member states to Russia and Belarus, or to any natural or legal person, entity or body in Russia and Belarus.
The European Union has included 217 natural persons and 18 legal entities in the sanctions lists, including representatives of the DPR and the LPR. Among those sanctioned are 179 representatives of the leadership and parliaments of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics.
The new sanctions have affected entrepreneurs, as well as family members of individuals who are already under sanctions. Sanctions have also been imposed against companies whose production and technology are linked to the Russian special operation in Ukraine.