Answer given by Ms McGuinness on behalf of the European Commission
3.6.2022
Pursuant to Article 2f (2) of Regulation 833/2014[1] the broadcasting licence of persons, entities or bodies listed in Annex XV shall be suspended. This provision does not apply to persons, entities or bodies not listed in Annex XV.
For example, it does not apply to Yandex, a company associated with Mr Tigran Oganesovich Khudaverdyan, who is a person listed in Annex I to Council Regulation (EU) No 269/2014.[2]
The restrictions applicable to a person listed in Annex I to Council Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 (asset freeze and a prohibition to make funds and economic resources available to them or for their benefit) can affect transactions with natural or legal persons, entities or bodies associated with them.
Therefore, operators need to exert appropriate due diligence when dealing with Yandex, which is associated with Mr Khudaverdyan.
At this stage, the Commission cannot confirm whether companies such as Yandex will be added to Annex XV. Decisions on the adoption, renewal, or lifting of individual and sectoral restrictive measures ((i.e. any decision to add an entity to Annex XV) are taken by unanimity by Member States in the Council.
The Commission does not comment on discussions in the Council, nor on any possible additional measures that may be taken by the Council in light of Russian aggression against Ukraine.
- [1] Article 2f (2) of Council Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 of 31 July 2014 concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia's actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine (OJ L 229, 31.7.2014, p. 1).
- [2] Council Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 of 17 March 2014 concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine (OJ L 078 17.3.2014, p. 6).