The EU Council decided on Wednesday 13 April to introduce humanitarian exceptions to two sanctions regimes related to the situation in Ukraine: the one on the territorial integrity of the country and the one in response to the recognition of the non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, “in view of the humanitarian crisis resulting from Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine”.
The aim, according to the EU Council, is to safeguard the humanitarian work of impartial humanitarian actors addressing the humanitarian needs of the civilian population in Ukraine.
In particular, organisations and agencies acting as humanitarian partners of the EU are exempted from the prohibition to make funds or economic resources available to persons and entities designated under the Ukraine territorial integrity regime when the funds or resources are necessary for exclusively humanitarian purposes in Ukraine.
In addition, certain clearly defined categories of humanitarian organisations are exempted from the export restrictions and the related prohibition on the provision of services for exclusively humanitarian purposes in the non-government controlled areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts of Ukraine.
Furthermore, organisations not covered by the above exemptions can request Member States to grant a derogation from the same prohibitions when that is necessary for humanitarian activities in Ukraine.
See the legal acts related to these decisions: https://aeur.eu/f/19b (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)