Riga, 05/03/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 5 March, the Council extended the EU's restrictive measures linked to the freezing and recovery of misappropriated Ukrainian state funds.
On 5 March 2014, the EU took out sanctions against 18 people - including Ukraine's former president, Viktor Yanukovych - for 12 months (see EUROPE 11033). It then took out sanctions against another 4 people - including Ukraine's former first deputy prime minister, Serhiy Arbuzhov, on 15 April (see EUROPE 11061). These 22 people were the subject of initial investigations by the Ukrainian authorities into the embezzlement of Ukrainian state funds, and were subject to an assets freeze in the EU. In a press release, the Council of Ministers of the EU said that it has adjusted the sanctions “to take account of progress in these judicial proceedings”.
According to a European source, the measures have been extended by 12 months against 14 people and by 3 months against 4 other people. “The Council will review the evidence against them within this time”, the source told EUROPE. The last 4 people come off the list of people subject to restrictive measures “because the files have evolved”, the source stated.
The legal acts will be published in the Official Journal on 6 March 2015. (Camille-Cerise Gessant)