For the last four years, the EU has imposed sanctions against Russian individuals and companies concerning the Ukrainian crisis. The blacklist has been progressively extended to Ukrainian citizens, leaders in Donetsk and Lugansk, as well as Russian politicians and companies. A total of 150 individuals and 38 organizations are on the EU blacklist. Restrictive measures have been extended every six months. Some EU members objected to suggestions by the EU Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER) to automatically extend the blacklist for Russia before March 15, the date when the package of sanctions expires. Mr. Chizhov explained that in order to extend sanctions, they need a ministerial level session of the EU Council while not all countries have finalized the necessary internal procedures.
Ukraine and the EU are trying to iron out glitches that have stalled a deal with Russia to resolve a gas dispute. Russia has said it cannot implement an agreement with Ukraine to resume gas flows to Europe, accusing Ukraine of adding "unacceptable" conditions. Twenty-four hours ago it seemed a deal had been done for Russian energy giant Gazprom to re-start gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine, following frantic EU shuttle diplomacy. Both Russia and Ukraine had signed an agreement to allow international monitors to observe the flow of natural gas from Russia to Europe via the Ukraine. However, the…... [read more]
European Union finance ministers will on Tuesday discuss setting up a blacklist of worldwide tax havens, EU officials said, after leaked documents from an offshore law firm exposed new high-profile cases of tax avoidance. The decision to include the subject in the monthly meeting's agenda came after the publication over the weekend in several media of the so-called Paradise Papers, a trove of leaked financial documents mostly from law firm Appleby that exposed dealings with tax havens by top public figures. EU countries had planned for months to reach an agreement on a blacklist for tax havens by the end…... [read more]
EU member states agreed Friday to roll over for another six months damaging economic sanctions against Russia for its involvement in the Ukraine crisis, EU sources said. BRUSSELS: EU member states agreed on Friday (Dec 18) to roll over for another six months damaging economic sanctions against Russia for its involvement in the Ukraine crisis, EU sources said. "COREPER agreed to the extension of sanctions against Russia," one of the sources told AFP, referring to a formal meeting of the 28 country ambassadors to the European Union. The source, who asked not to be named, said the procedure will close…... [read more]
The EU nations had already agreed in principle to roll over the sanctions for another year from July 2015, but they have to make a formal decision when they meet on June 25-26. BRUSSELS: European Union (EU) leaders meeting in Brussels this month are set to extend sanctions on Russia over its involvement in the fighting in Ukraine until the end of 2015, diplomats told AFP on Friday (Jun 5). The sanctions, which target economic sectors such as Russia's banks and oil industry, were imposed after the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over rebel-held eastern Ukraine in July…... [read more]
(VOVworld) - The European Union (EU) will extend sanctions on Russian and Ukrainian individuals and legal entities related to the conflict in eastern Ukraine and Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region last March. In a statement released Monday, EU ministers announced a six-month extension of sanctions against 149 Russian and Ukrainian individuals and 37 legal entities for backing separatists in eastern Ukraine. The announcement came one day before the sanctions expired. Relations between Russia and Western countries have worsened since the political crisis in Ukraine last March. The EU imposed measures restricting entry to EU territory against 149 individuals and…... [read more]
