Brussels, 08/12/2015 (Agence Europe) - Several sources have told EUROPE that the economic sanctions against the Russian Federation are expected to be extended by six months at the meeting of the Council of Ministers on 14 or 15 December, and not at the European Council (17-18 December) as initially planned.
The issue of economic sanctions against Russia, which are linked to the conflict in east Ukraine, was due to be discussed in the Council working group on Tuesday 8 December and it will then be discussed at the level of EU national ambassadors (Coreper) on 9 and 10 December. The Foreign Affairs Council or General Affairs Council could therefore formally decide on extending the sanctions, on Monday 14 December or the day after. According to several European sources, and as announced by EUROPE (see EUROPE 11443), the extension could be for six months - in other words until 31 July 2016. Such a time period would enable some visibility to be given to the economic actors, a European source told EUROPE.
According to the same source, there would not be great disagreement on extending these sanctions - due to the incomplete implementation of the Minsk agreements (see EUROPE 11443). The Normandy-format meeting on 2 October had indeed noted that these agreements would not be fully met by the end of the year because of the postponement of elections in the east of Ukraine (see EUROPE 11403). The elections must be organised within a period of 90 days after the adoption of an electoral law which has still not been adopted. After the elections, the law on decentralisation must be implemented and Kiev must gain control of all the country's borders again.
A decision on sanctions against Russia at the level of the Council of Ministers would enable the agenda for the next European Council to be eased, as it is already very full. The Europeans “might take the simplest path”, a source therefore stated. While an initial version of the European Council conclusions included a section on Ukraine, a version dated Monday 7 December (which EUROPE has obtained) no longer includes this. Initially the sanctions should reportedly have been the subject of an agreement at the European Council before the Council of Ministers focused on it, but the subject may no longer be discussed by the EU heads of state and government. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)