EU extends sanctions against Russia until the spring of 2016 – RBC

The headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels

Photo: AFP

On the extension of the sanctions list, which now featured 150 Russians and the leaders of self-proclaimed republics of eastern Ukraine, as well as against 37 Russian companies, reports EU Observer.

The decision to extend sanctions against the Russians was made by foreign ministers of the EU countries at a meeting of the EU Council in Brussels. Action sanctions list expires on 15 of September. The sanctions involve a ban on entry to the EU, and the freezing of assets in European countries.

The decision shall enter into force upon publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

The sanctions against individuals and companies from Russia were introduced the EU in March 2014 in response to the accession to the Russian Crimea.

In the sanctions list of the European Union consists of the State Duma speaker and the Federation Council, Sergei Naryshkin and Valentina Matvienko, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak and Dmitry Rogozin, Assistant to the President Vladislav Surkov, presidential adviser Sergei Glazyev, Deputy Sergei Zheleznyak and Sergei Neverov, a State Duma deputy Iosif Kobzon and a number of other politicians and officials. Among the companies and organizations included in the list – “Transneft”, “Gazprom Neft”, “Rosneft” social movement “New Russia” and “Chernomorneftegaz».

In March 2015 the sanctions were extended until September 2015 year. Then the reason for the extension of the sanctions has been a sharp deterioration of the situation in the east of Ukraine in January 2015. On the extension of sanctions did not affect even the signing of the new Minsk settlement agreements in Ukraine.

In early September, the Interfax referring to European diplomatic sources report that the EU does not rule out changes to the list.

In response to European sanctions Russia in August last year imposed an embargo on a number of food products from Europe, including pork, poultry, beef, milk, fruits and vegetables. In June 2015 kontrsanktsii been extended to August 2016.