In a statement made on the 5th of April, Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the EU Commission outlined EU proposals for additional sanctions against Russia.
The new measures will include:
- An import ban on coal from Russia, worth EUR 4 billion per year.
- A full transaction ban on four key Russian banks. The President of the EU Commission mentioned that VTB, the second largest Russian bank, will be one of the four banks.
- A ban on Russian vessels and Russian-operated vessels from accessing EU ports. Certain exemptions will cover essentials, such as agricultural and food products, humanitarian aid as well as energy. Additionally, there will be a ban on Russian and Belarusian road transport operators.
- Further targeted export bans, worth EUR 10 billion, in areas such as quantum computers and advanced semiconductors, but also sensitive machinery and transportation equipment.
- New import bans, worth EUR 5.5 billion, on products from wood to cement and from seafood to liquor.
- A number of very targeted measures, such as a general EU ban on participation of Russian companies in public procurement in Member States, or an exclusion of all financial support, be it European or national, to Russian public bodies.
- Further listings of individuals and entities.
These proposals will be discussed by the EU Member States with a view to obtaining a unanimous agreement among the 27 member states.
