Brussels, 19/10/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Sunday 18 October, the day for the formal adoption of the agreement on the Iranian nuclear programme, the Council of the EU adopted the legal texts providing for all EU economic and financial sanctions related to the nuclear programme to be lifted. Just under 300 entities and around 30 people - all sanctioned by the United Nations, or autonomously by the EU - are reportedly affected by the lifting of the visa ban and the lifting of the freeze on their assets. Banks and financial institutions are affected (including the Iranian central bank), and also people, entities and bodies linked to the oil, gas and petro-chemical sectors, to the navigation, ship-building and transport sectors, and to activities that are not linked to ballistic missiles, weapons and significant nuclear proliferation.
These legal acts will only take effect once the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) considers that Iran has fulfilled its obligations. It is only at this time that the sanctions will be lifted. According to a high level Western diplomat, the lift on sanctions could take place “at the end of the year, start of next year”. The legal acts, adopted by written procedure, were published in the Official Journal of the EU on 18 October. The sanctions that are directly related to nuclear activities will not be lifted yet, and neither will those related to human rights violations - which will remain in force.
The same day, the US also began to prepare the “cessation of application” of the sanctions - which likewise will become effective when the IAEA gives its green light.
Important day in the process of implementing the agreement. In a joint press release, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif hailed this official “Adoption Day” of the joint comprehensive plan of action (JCPOA) related to the Iranian nuclear programme. The official adoption comes, as planned, 90 days after the United Nations Security Council resolution approving the JCPOA on 15 July 2015. In the intervening time, the Iranian Parliament and US Congress have backed the agreement on the Iranian nuclear programme. Adoption Day marks “another important milestone that brings us a step closer to the beginning of implementation of the JCPOA”. Mogherini and Zarif stated, adding that the timetable that was set in the plan has been respected. This “demonstrates our collective will to stick to its provisions”, they stated.
Iran will now begin to implement its nuclear-related commitments, as agreed in the nuclear deal on 14 July. The IAEA will make the necessary preparation to monitor and check these commitments, Mogherini and Zarif said. “All sides remain strongly committed to ensuring that implementation of the JCPOA can start as soon as possible” they added.
Elsewhere, on Monday 19 October, the first meeting of the “Joint Commission” was held in Vienna at political directors' level. This commission comprises the six E3+3 (Germany, France, United Kingdom and China, United States, Russia) countries, Iran and the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini (or her representative) as co-ordinator. The joint commission's task is to monitor implementation of the nuclear-related commitments and to take care of all issues linked to the implementation of sanctions. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)