New EU measures prohibiting exports of jet fuel and fuel additives to Syria were adopted by the Council on 12 December 2014, alongside certain other amendments to the existing sanctions regime. Council Decision 2014/901/CFSP and Regulation (EU) 1323/2014 were published in the Official Journal on 13 December and came into force the following day.
The new ban prohibits the sale, supply, transfer or export, directly or indirectly of certain jet fuel and additives as identified in the new Annex Va inserted into Council Regulation (EU) 36/2012. The provision of financing, financial assistance (including financial derivatives, insurance and reinsurance), and brokering services for or regarding the sale, supply, transfer or export of jet fuel and additives is also prohibited. The competent authorities in Member States may authorise derogations for the fuel requirements of the United Nations and bodies acting on its behalf for humanitarian purposes such as delivering assistance and for evacuations. Further, the prohibition does not apply to fuel used by non-Syrian civilian aircraft for continuing flight operations, and by Syrian carriers for carrying out evacuations (subject to other conditions on designated Syrian carriers).
Regulation 36/2012 is also modified to refuse any claims arising from the application of the sanctions which are made by any of the persons subject to asset freezes (in Annexes II and IIa), or any other Syrian person, entity or body; as well as any person entity or body acting through or on the behalf of such a person.
The changes also revise the prohibition on knowing and intentional participation in activities the object or effect of which is to circumvent restrictive measures in the regulation.
