Reading press releases is usually a smart idea. Also, read the EU Official Journal of the European Union to check the law changes of the EU. The former provides information on what is going on in Brussels. The latter is published every day (excluding Sundays) and is more thorough, but it is also more difficult to grasp due to the legal language.
But who has time to scan all that for what's relevant? Well, we do everything for you so that you don't have to.
Content
EU published temporary rules of trade with Ukraine: Tons of facilitation.
Scary: EU makes certain coffins 4% more expensive, 3 D Printers 1.7% cheaper to import. Opportunity?
6th EU Sanctions against Russia Package: Oil Embargo
Belarus Sanctions - more listing
More Russians and Russian Businesses listed
The EU has sanctioned Guardians of Religion.
"No cumulation" list for trade with Africa published
Syria Sanctions update: Leading Businesspersons and Businesses sanctioned.
The EU agreed on
the full removal of import duties (preferential customs duties) on industrial products from Ukraine
the suspension of the entry price system for fruit and vegetables;
the suspension of tariff-rate quotas.
⇉ Ukraine: Zero-Tariff, Zero Quota Access to the EU Market
EU importers of Ukrainian products to the EU will no longer be required to pay duties on any EU imports from Ukraine from June 2022. We summarise and explain the law behind it and what EU businesses now need to know.
Scary: EU makes certain coffins 4% more expensive, 3 D Printers 1.7% cheaper to import. Opportunity?
The EU has amended its customs tariff to reduce the customs duty on 3D printers, but increased the duty on coffins by 4%. We explain it all.
The EU decided that the sixth package of sanctions would include crude oil and petroleum products sent by Russia to EU Member States. We break it down + law
Ukraine: The Commission proposes rules on freezing and confiscating assets of oligarchs violating restrictive measures and of criminals
The European Commission proposes that violations of EU restrictive measures be added to the list of EU offences. The Commission is also proposing new strengthened asset recovery and confiscation regulations, which would aid in the execution of EU restrictive measures. While Russia's aggression against Ukraine continues, it is critical that EU restrictive measures be effectively enforced and that violations of those measures are not permitted to pay off. The suggestions made today seek to guarantee that assets of persons and businesses that breach the restriction measures are successfully seized in the future. The suggestions are part of the Commission's 'Freeze and Seize' Task Force, which was established in March.
Given the gravity of the situation in Belarus, as well as the persistent violations of human rights and repression of civil society and democratic opposition, 12 individuals and eight entities have been added to the list of natural and legal persons, entities, and bodies subject to EU sanctions.
More prohibitions for Belarus: No more exchange of financial data with Belarus
In view of the gravity of the situation, it is necessary to take additional measures.
Decision (CFSP) 2022/882 expanded the list of entities subject to restrictions with regard to authorisations for the sale, supply, transfer or export of dual-use goods and technology, and goods and technology which might contribute to Belarus’s military and technological enhancement, or to the development of its defence and security sector.
Decision (CFSP) 2022/882 also expands the list of Belarusian credit institutions and their Belarusian subsidiaries subject to restrictive measures with regard to the provision of specialised financial messaging services.
Additionally, it is now prohibited to provide specialised financial messaging services, which are used to exchange financial data, to the legal persons, entities or bodies listed in Annex XV or to any legal person, entity or body established in Belarus whose proprietary rights are directly or indirectly owned for more than 50 % by an entity listed in Annex XV.
More Russians and Russian Businesses listed
In view of the gravity of the situation, the EU has added 65 individuals and 18 entities to the list of natural and legal persons, entities and bodies subject to restrictive measures. This includes, in particular, those officials of the 64th Separate Motorised Rifle Brigade of the 35th Combined Arms Army of the Russian Federation. Also inclused Galina Danilchenko, the acting mayor of the city of Melitopol. On 4 March 2022, the legitimate mayor of Melitopol was abducted by Russian forces and she was appointed to replace him.
In view of the continued threat posed by ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaeda and natural and legal persons, entities or bodies associated with them,the EU has added two persons and one group to the Sanctions list. The persons are Faruq AL-SURI and Sami AL-ARIDI and the group is Hurras AL-DIN (HaD also known as the Guardians of Religion). Please Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/836 of 30 May 2022 implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1686 imposing additional restrictive measures directed against ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaeda and natural and legal persons, entities or bodies associated with them.
"No cumulation" list for trade with Africa published
The EU has publised that list of materials excluded from cumulation between the European Union and certain African, Caribbean and Pacific States and the overseas countries and territories of the European Union, as per the EU-SADC Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).
Until now, the EU has been applying the cumulation with African, Caribbean and Pacific (the ‘ACP’) States since 1 October 2018. But there are certain products to which cumulation does not apply. The EPA says that if the final product is sent to the Southern African Customs Union (the "SACU"), Article 4(3) of Protocol 1 does not apply to the some materials. These are those from non-SACU Southern African Development Community (the ‘SADC’) states. These do not enjoy duty-free quota-free access into SACU.
Also, goods usually can't be added up between the EU and some African, Caribbean, and Pacific states, as well as EU overseas countries and territories. This is because goods coming from OCTs or ACP EPA States, other than the non-SACU SADC states, cannot be imported directly into SACU duty-free quota-free. So, the SACU Secretariat has established the list of materials concerned and has notified it to the European Commission. The list of materials is here.
Syria Sanctions update: Leading Businesspersons and Businesses sanctioned.
The EU reviewed the Syria sanctions and of amended entries for 18 leading businessperson operating in Syria, with interests and activities in multiple sectors of Syria’s economy. There is also government, security and military personnel and others as well as and 13 businesses and organisations on the list. They also deleted three entries. Two were killed and for one there is a General Court judgement. See here
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