Brussels did not announce this one quietly. In late June the EU Council adopted its 14th package of sanctions on Russia, and the text reads like a catalogue of every route Moscow has found around the earlier thirteen.
The Council said the aim was to hit high-value sectors, namely energy, finance and trade, while making evasion harder. The package also lists 116 more individuals and entities held responsible for undermining Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence.
Gas first
The most pointed energy measure concerns liquefied natural gas. EU facilities may no longer reload Russian LNG so that it can be shipped on to third countries. Ship-to-ship transfers, ship-to-shore transfers and straightforward re-loading all fall under the ban. Imports are untouched; only re-export through the Union is closed. The European Commission is to watch how this plays out and may propose softer measures if needed.
Further out, new investment is banned, as is supplying goods, technology and services to finish LNG projects already under construction. The Council names Murmansk LNG and Arctic LNG 2 as examples. Import restrictions also reach Russian LNG arriving through EU terminals that are not connected to the gas grid.
Closing the side doors
Much of the text deals with circumvention. EU parent companies must make their best efforts to stop third-country subsidiaries from joining activities the sanctions are meant to prevent. Firms that sell “battlefield goods” to buyers outside the EU must run due diligence on the risk those items end up back in Russia. Anyone passing industrial know-how for such goods to a commercial partner abroad has to write a contractual clause barring use for products headed to Russia.
The money side gets the same treatment. The Council outlawed use of SPFS, a specialised messaging network that Russia’s central bank created to blunt sanctions. EU entities operating outside Russia may not connect to it or to anything equivalent, and EU operators cannot deal with listed entities through it beyond Russia’s borders. A separate ban covers transactions with targeted banks, financial institutions and crypto providers outside the EU if they help supply Russia’s defence-industrial base with dual-use goods, sensitive items, firearms or ammunition.
Funding, media and ships
One measure looks inward. Citing Russian attempts to interfere in the EU’s democratic processes through influence campaigns and disinformation, the Council barred political parties, foundations, NGOs including think tanks, and media outlets in the EU from accepting funding from Moscow or its proxies. Journalists are not otherwise restricted; research and interviews can continue.
For the first time, the EU also targeted specific vessels that contribute to Russia’s war against Ukraine. They face a port access ban and a ban on services.
Sources
- EU adopts 14th sanctions package against Russia – SAFETY4SEA
- EU adopts 14th sanctions package against Russia targeting LNG exports & sanctions circumvention – Business and Human Rights Centre
