On 31 March 2016, the UN Security Council (“UNSC“) adopted UNSC Resolution 2278 (2016) (the “Resolution“) which renews until 31 July 2017 the measures imposed by UNSC Resolution 2146 (2014) on the prevention of illicit crude oil exports from Libya. Against this backdrop, on 27 April 2016, the Libya Sanctions Committee (the “Committee“) approved the addition of the Indian vessel Distya Ameya to the UNSC asset freeze and travel ban list in relation to attempts to illicitly export crude oil from Libya. This designation was implemented by the EU on 5 May 2016 pursuant to Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/690.
By Decision (CFSP) 2016/627 of 21 April 2016, the Council of the European Union has extended the EU sanctions against Myanmar/Burma until 30 April 2017.
On 25 February 2016, the Council of the EU decided not to prolong restrictive measures against 170 individuals and 3 companies from Belarus (sanctions against these entities were already suspended since October 2015). The Council also decided that the restrictive measures (which include asset freezes and travel bans) will continue to apply for one year (until 28 February 2017) to 4 individuals. The amended Regulation came into force on 28 February 2016.
Further to a number of EU de-listings, which came into force on Saturday 31 October 2015, the UK has updated its consolidated list of EU/UK DPs in respect of Belarus. This can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/473058/belarus.pdf The four members of President Lukashenko’s security services listed remain subject to the asset freeze and travel ban due to their involvement in unresolved disappearances in Belarus. The arms embargo remains in force.