On 3rd of June 2022, the Council decided  to impose a sixth package of economic and individual sanctions targeting both Russia and Belarus. Relevant legislation implementing the sixth package of sanctions can be found here.

The new sanctions ban the import of Russian oil into the EU, they cut off more of the key Russian banks from the international payment system SWIFT, they sanction additional parties and they ban more disinformation actors actively contributing to President Putin’s war propaganda.

Oil

The EU has prohibited the purchase, import or transfer of crude oil and certain petroleum products from Russia into the EU. The phasing out of Russian oil will take from 6 months for crude oil to 8 months for other refined petroleum products.  

Exceptions apply to:

  • seaborne crude oil and petroleum products that originate in a third country but are loaded in/depart from/transit through Russia; and
  • crude oil falling under commodity code CN 2709 00.

A temporary exception applies for imports of crude oil by pipeline into those EU member states that, due to their geographic situation, suffer from a specific dependence on Russian supplies and have no viable alternative options. Bulgaria and Croatia will also benefit from temporary derogations concerning the import of Russian seaborne crude oil and vacuum gas oil respectively.

De-SWIFTing of additional Russian and Belarusian banks

The EU hasextended the existing prohibition on the provision of specialized financial messaging services (SWIFT) to three additional Russian credit institutions and one Belarussian

  • Sberbank,
  • Credit Bank of Moscow,
  • Russian Agricultural Bank, and
  • Belarusian Bank For Development and Reconstruction.

Broadcasting

The EU is suspending the broadcasting activities in the EU of three more Russian state-owned outlets: Rossiya RTR/RTR Planeta, Rossiya 24 / Russia 24 and TV Centre International.However, these measures will not prevent those media outlets and their staff from carrying out activities in the EU other than broadcasting, e.g. research and interviews.

Export restrictions

Furthermore, the EU has expanded the list of persons and entities concerned by export restrictions regarding dual-use goods and technology. Such additions to the list include both Russian and Belarusian entities. The EU will also expand the list of goods and technology which may contribute to the technological enhancement of Russia’s defense and security sector. This will include 80 chemicals which can be used to produce chemical weapons.

The UK and South Korea will also be added to the list of partner countries that have substantively equivalent export restrictions.

Consulting services

In addition, with limited exceptions, the EU has prohibited the provision, indirectly or directly, of accounting, auditing, bookkeeping or tax consulting services, business and management consulting or public relations services to the Government of Russia, or entities established in Russia.

Individual listings

Lastly, the Council decided to sanction additional individuals (65 people) and entities (18 entities) deemed responsible for the actions committed by Russian troops in Bucha and Mariupol. These include personalities supporting the war, leading businesspersons and family members of listed oligarchs and Kremlin officials, companies in the defense sector and a financial organization.

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