VP/HR — EU approves new sanctions against Russia
10.1.2017
Question for written answer E-000075-17
to the Commission (Vice-President/High Representative)
Rule 130
Javier Couso Permuy (GUE/NGL)
The EU has extended, until 31 July 2017, the economic sanctions against Russia that were introduced in 2014 in response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine. Those actions apparently ‘destabilised’ the situation in the region.
The extended sanctions restrict access to European capital markets for five state-owned Russian banks, as well as a number of Russian companies in the energy and defence sectors. The sanctions also include bans on the import and export of arms and dual-use products, and restrict Russia’s access to technology that may be used in oil production and exploration. The EU has furthermore imposed visa bans and asset freezes on 152 people and 37 entities.
In light of the EU’s new sanctions against Russia:
- 1.Which persons and institutions do they affect?
- 2.In full, what sanctions have been imposed against Russia?
- 3.What is the EU hoping to achieve by imposing this new raft of sanctions, given the abject failure of the previous measures, which had no impact whatsoever on the direction of Russia’s foreign policy?