On Monday 19 June, the Foreign Affairs Council extended until 23 June 2018 sanctions against Russia that were introduced in response to its annexing of Crimea and Sebastopol.
The restrictive measures, first taken in 2014, apply to EU nationals and companies registered in the EU and only apply to the territory of Crimea and Sevastopol. They include prohibitions on: imports of products originating in Crimea or Sevastopol into the EU; investment in Crimea or Sevastopol, meaning that no Europeans nor EU-based companies can buy property or entities in Crimea, finance Crimean companies or supply related services; tourism services in Crimea or Sevastopol, in particular European cruise ships cannot call at ports in the Crimean peninsula, except in case of emergency; exports of certain goods and technologies to Crimean companies or for use in Crimea in the transport, telecommunications and energy sectors and related to the prospection, exploration and production of oil, gas and mineral resources. Technical assistance, brokering, construction or engineering services related to infrastructure in these sectors must not be provided either.
The extension of the sanctions on Russia in connection with the conflict in east Ukraine is due to be discussed by the European Council on 22 and 23 June. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)