Filenews 8 April 2022
The fifth package of sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine was approved on Thursday evening by the Permanent Representatives of the 27 member states during a meeting of COREPER II in Brussels.
As stated in a post by the French Presidency on Twitter, the package extends sanctions against Russia to new areas, which include a ban on the import of coal from the country.
In particular, the measures include new entries in the sanctions list concerning "oligarchs, propagandists of Russia, members of the security and military mechanisms, and legal entities in the field of industry and technology linked to the Russian attack on Ukraine", as it is reported.
In addition, the new package of measures provides for:
- the asset freeze of several Russian banks,
- a ban on coal imports from Russia,
- an arms embargo on Russia,
- a ban on exports to Russia, including high-tech goods, with a total value of €10 billion,
- a ban on the import from Russia of raw materials and other critical materials with a total value of €5.5 billion,
- a ban on access to EU ports for ships flying the Russian flag, and
- a ban on road haulage companies from Russia and Belarus.
The proposals, tabled by the Commission earlier this week, are expected to be adopted through the written procedure. The new sanctions will apply immediately after their publication in the EU's Official Journal, which is expected to take place on Saturday according to the French presidency.
CNA
