News item | 23-06-2023 | 13:53
On 23 June 2023, the European Union (EU) adopted a new sanctions package. An important part of the package: additional measures to prevent Russia from circumventing sanctions via other countries. Russian arms manufacturers and those responsible for kidnapping Ukrainian children are also on the sanctions list.
Do you have information about the circumvention of sanctions? Report this to the government. For example with the EU sanctions whistle blower tool or at the Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service (FIOD), via telephone number 088-1551661. More information on the FIOD website.
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EU: sanctions against Russia
The EU has imposed sanctions against Russia for its illegal annexation of Ukrainian territory. The sanctions remain necessary to exert maximum pressure on Russia to end the aggression in Ukraine.
This new package is emphatically aimed at combating sanctions circumvention and fits in well with the Dutch initiative with the support of 18 member states to strengthen the international approach to circumvention. Examples are more intensive cooperation with countries outside the EU in combating circumvention. And expansion of the possibilities to take concrete measures against circumvention.
This package also meets the Dutch commitment to tackle those responsible for the kidnapping of Ukrainian children and arms manufacturers. The package also responds to the need to address malicious Russian cyber operations against Ukraine by sanctioning cyber suppliers to Russia’s intelligence services.
The new sanctions in brief:
More people and organizations on the sanctions list
The EU has added new persons and organizations to the sanctions list. These include:
- banks, military, propagandists and members and supporters of the Russian Wagner Group;
- those responsible for the Russian abduction of Ukrainian children;
- organizations involved in the Russian military and defense sector, for example developers of drones used against civilians and civilian infrastructure;
- Iranian manufacturers supplying drones to Russia.
Cyber suppliers on sanctions list
Cyber suppliers for the Russian armed forces have also been added to the sanctions list, who are therefore directly or indirectly responsible for serious cyber operations against Ukraine.
The purpose of these sanctions is to discourage Russian cyber suppliers from facilitating malicious cyber behavior by Russia. These suppliers are not only a concern for Ukraine. Out annual reports of the services shows that Russian cyber operations also target the West and are therefore also a direct threat to the EU.
New bans on exports and imports
The EU is imposing more bans on the export and import of certain goods. These include:
- Total ban on the transit through Russia of EU goods and technology that could contribute to Russia’s arms, aircraft and aerospace industries;
- Further expansion of export bans on goods and components that contribute to the Russian military-industrial complex, including electronic components, materials for chips, (test) machines for computer components and navigation instruments, and metals;
- Export ban on intellectual property;
- Extension of the freight transport ban within the EU to Russian trailers towed by trucks registered outside Russia;
- Extension of the port ban to ships that have illegally switched off their transponders.
Additional measures against circumvention of sanctions
The EU wants to make it even more difficult to circumvent the sanctions. These include the following additional measures:
- Intensification of cooperation with countries outside the EU in combating circumvention by diplomatic agents outreach and technical support;
- If these constructive efforts do not yield results, restrictive measures for specific goods and technology to the third country concerned are enabled (as a last resort);
- Extension of the anti-circumvention listing criterion to activities that significantly frustrate the sanctions (with no link to a violation of the prohibition of circumvention by an EU actor);
- New sectoral measures (listing light) for entities in Russia and brokers in specific non-EU countries that supply goods to the RF weapons industry, including unmanned aerial vehicles and electronic components;
- Improved data sharing:
- Obligation to share information between Member States on rejected exemptions to prevent forum shopping (search for the most favorable jurisdiction).
- Improved information sharing between member states about compliance with export-restrictive measures in relation to goods that can also be used for military purposes, among other things.
- Expansion of possibilities for information sharing in relation to sanction circumvention.
Are sanctions against Russia effective?
The Russian economy is shrinking and the sanctions are hitting the Russian treasury. In addition, export restrictions mean that Russia has less and less high technology in stock, such as aircraft parts and computer chips. Read more about the consequences of the sanctions for the Russian economy.
Continued commitment to the European Union
The European Union remains committed to supporting Ukraine’s right of self-defense against Russian aggression. And to build a peaceful, democratic and prosperous future. A complete overview of the sanctions can be found on the EU sanctions page. See also the EU timeline of sanctions against Russia.
Dutch implementation of sanctions
Would you like to know more about the sanctions and how the Netherlands implements them? View the page sanctions against Russia and Belarus (Belarus).