The European Commission proposed, on 3 May, that Member States take measures against Russian liquefied gas, as part of the 14th package of sanctions against Russia. This package will be discussed on Wednesday 8 May by the Member States’ ambassadors to the EU (Coreper).
“Russia derives significant revenues from the sale and transport of liquefied natural gas (LNG)”, underlines the proposal seen by Agence Europe. The Commission is therefore proposing to prohibit the provision of reloading services, for the purpose of transhipment operations, for Russian LNG “in order to ensure that EU facilities are not used to tranship Russian LNG to third countries”. Auxiliary maritime services facilitating this transport would also be banned. The Commission specifies that the measure will not affect imports of LNG into the EU.
The EU could also ban new investments and the supply of goods, technologies and services for the completion of LNG projects under construction, “such as Arctic LNG and Murmansk LNG”.
Restrictions on imports of Russian liquefied natural gas via EU terminals not connected to the European gas grid are also being considered.
The EU could also ban access to Member States’ ports and locks and to a “wide range” of maritime transport services for ships that “contribute to Russia’s ability to wage war against Ukraine”. This could involve 11 ships.
In the air transport sector, the operator could be obliged to provide information on the owner of the aircraft and the nationality of the passengers. Road haulage companies that are at least 25% owned by Russian natural or legal persons could also be banned from operating in the EU.
In response to Russia’s development of the ‘Financial Messaging System of the Bank of Russia (SPFS)’, a specialised financial messaging service designed to neutralise the impact of European sanctions, the EU could ban the use of this system or equivalent services used by the Central Bank of Russia. It could also ban transactions for those using this system outside Russia.
Additional restrictions on exports of goods that could contribute to strengthening Russian industrial capacity, such as chemicals, manganese ore and rare earth compounds, plastics, electronic equipment and helium imports, are also envisaged.
While Russia has taken steps to “illegally” deprive holders of intellectual property rights in the Member States of protection on its territory, the text proposes to impose restrictions on the registration in the EU of certain intellectual property rights by Russian individuals, natural persons resident in Russia and Russian companies.
The proposal also includes a ban on the purchase, import, transfer or export of Ukrainian cultural property and other property of “rare archaeological, historical, cultural, scientific or religious importance” where there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the property has been illegally removed from Ukraine.
The proposal also clarifies the measures previously adopted on diamonds (see EUROPE 13316/2). Rough diamonds imported from Russia before the 1st of January and polished diamonds imported before the 1st of March or the 1st of September, depending on their weight, would not be covered by the ban.
The Commission is also proposing to introduce a ban on political parties and foundations, non-governmental organisations or media service providers in the EU accepting “funding, donations or any other economic advantage or support” from the Russian State and its subsidiaries. “Restricting this financial support is intended to safeguard the integrity of the Union’s political processes, to protect the Union’s citizens against manipulation and to defend the Union’s internal affairs against any malicious interference, guaranteeing the protection of the principles of the Rule of law, democracy and media pluralism”, explains the text.
Four more Russian media are expected to be banned in the EU: Voice of Europe, RIA Novosti, Izvestija and Rossiiskaja Gazeta. The Prague-based media Voice of Europe could also be subject to an asset freeze, and two businessmen linked to the media to an asset freeze and visa ban. According to the EU, “Voice of Europe is an online media that has engaged in a systematic international campaign of media manipulation and distortion of the facts in order to further destabilise Ukraine, the European Union and its Member States, and to justify Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine”.
In addition, 52 new entities supporting the Russian military-industrial complex in its war of aggression against Ukraine could be sanctioned, including 19 non-Russian third-country entities “involved in the circumvention of trade restrictions and engaged in the procurement of sensitive items”, such as the production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or material support for Russian military operations, including all-terrain vehicles. This could involve entities in China, Hong Kong, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan and the United Arab Emirates.
A further 45 people and 22 entities could be sanctioned for their infringement of Ukraine’s sovereignty, and 19 people and one entity in connection with the situation in Russia.
Tougher sanctions against Belarus
The EU could also adopt additional measures against Belarus, in line with those taken against Russia.
These include extending the ban on the export of advanced and dual-use goods and technologies and introducing new restrictions on the export of goods that could contribute in particular to strengthening Belarusian industrial capacity.
“In order to minimise the risk of circumvention of restrictive measures”, the text puts forward a ban on the transit, via the territory of Belarus, of dual-use goods and technologies which could contribute to the military and technological development of Belarus or which could contribute to the strengthening of Belarusian industrial capacities.
Additional restrictions could be applied to the export to Belarus of maritime navigation goods and technologies and luxury goods, and a ban on the direct or indirect import, purchase or transfer of diamonds and gold from Belarus.
Measures could be taken concerning goods related to the energy sector, aviation and the provision of services and advice. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)