The EU Council today decided to prolong by six months, until 31 January 2024, the restrictive measures targeting specific sectors of the economy of the Russian Federation, the Council said in a statement.
These sanctions, first introduced in 2014, were significantly expanded since February 2022, in response to war in Ukraine.
“They currently consist of a broad spectrum of sectoral measures, including restrictions on trade, finance, technology and dual-use goods, industry, transport and luxury goods. They also cover: a ban on the import or transfer of seaborne crude oil and certain petroleum products from Russia to the EU, a de-SWIFTing of several Russian banks, and the suspension of the broadcasting activities and licenses of several Kremlin-backed disinformation outlets. Additionally, specific measures were introduced to strengthen the ability of the EU to counter sanctions circumvention”, the EU Council said.