Brussels, 19/05/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 19 May, the Council added 18 people and one entity to the list of those subject to EU restrictive measures against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
These 18 people are now subject to an assets freeze and a ban on travelling in the EU, and the entity is subject to an assets freeze. A Council press release states that the 18 people are mostly high-ranked military officials involved in key bodies responsible for supporting or promoting the DPRK's nuclear-related, ballistic missile-related or other weapons of mass destruction-related programmes. The additional listed entity is involved in the development and operational implementation of ballistic-missile related or other weapons of mass destruction-related programmes.
The Council's decision was adopted by written procedure and the legal acts will be published in the Official Journal on 20 May. It brings the total number of people subject to EU restrictive measures to 66 and the number of entities to 42.
The new measures complete the sanctions regime imposed by the United Nations Security Council resolutions (see EUROPE 11523). The measures include EU autonomous additional measures involving prohibitions on the export and import of arms as well as goods and technology that could contribute to the DPRK's illegal nuclear, WMD and ballistic missile programmes. Both the UN and the EU, autonomously, also imposed related restrictive measures in the financial services, trade and transport sectors. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)