EU approves 16th sanctions package against Russia
The European Commission welcomes the approval of the EUs 16th sanctions package against Russia, further increasing pressure on the Kremlin. These measures target key sectors of the Russian economy, including energy, trade, transport, infrastructure, and financial services. This package introduces additional restrictions on the import of Russian aluminum, expands export controls of technologies, and limits Russias access to essential resources for their military-industrial complex. There are also stricter measures in the financial sector, including new restrictions on Russian banks and crypto-asset service providers involved in sanction evasion. The package targets 74 additional ships, bringing the total to 153. Furthermore, the EU has updated its sanction regimes for Crimea, Sevastopol, and the non-government controlled areas of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia.
The EU has also introduced new restrictions on oil storage, aviation, and Russian infrastructure, as well as measures against disinformation, including the suspension of eight state-affiliated Russian media. Some elements of this package are mirrored in the Belarusian sanction regime.
The Commission remains determined to ensure the full implementation and enforcement of EU sanctions and continues to work with international partners to prevent evasion.
More information is available in the press release and the questions and answers online.
(For more information: Olof Gill – Tel.: +32 2 296 59 66; Marta Perez-Cejuela Romero - Tel.: +32 2 296 37 70)
EU works towards an agreement at COP16 on biodiversity in Rome
Tomorrow, the parties to the COP16 Global Biodiversity Conference will gather in Rome to discuss critical issues to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. The EU seeks consensus on all pending decisions, including resource mobilization and the monitoring framework.
More information is available on the EU priorities at COP16 in Rome online.
(For more information: Maciej Berestecki – Tel.: +32 2 296 64 83; Maëlys Dreux – Tel.: +32 2 295 46 73)