Council Decision 2011/782/CFSP of 1 December 2011 concerning restrictive measures against Syria and repealing Decision 2011/273/CFSP

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Article 29 thereof,

Whereas:

On 9 May 2011, the Council adopted Decision 2011/273/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Syria⁽¹⁾.
On 23 October 2011, the European Council stated that the Union would impose further measures against the Syrian regime as long as the repression of the civilian population continued.
In view of the gravity of the situation in Syria, the Council considers it necessary to impose additional restrictive measures.
Moreover, additional persons and entities should be included in the list of persons and entities subject to restrictive measures as set out in Annex I to Decision 2011/273/CFSP.
For the sake of clarity, the measures imposed by Decision 2011/273/CFSP and the additional measures should be integrated into a single legal instrument.
Decision 2011/273/CFSP should therefore be repealed.
Further action by the Union is needed in order to implement certain measures.
In order to ensure that the measures provided for in this Decision are effective, it should enter into force on the day of its adoption,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

CHAPTER 1

EXPORT AND IMPORT RESTRICTIONS

Article 1

1.

The sale, supply, transfer or export of arms and related matériel of all types, including weapons and ammunition, military vehicles and equipment, paramilitary equipment and spare parts for the aforementioned, as well as equipment which might be used for internal repression, to Syria by nationals of Member States or from the territories of Member States or using their flag vessels or aircraft, shall be prohibited, whether originating or not in their territories.

2.

It shall be prohibited to:

provide, directly or indirectly, technical assistance, brokering services or other services related to the items referred to in paragraph 1 or related to the provision, manufacture, maintenance and use of such items, to any natural or legal person, entity or body in, or for use in, Syria;
provide, directly or indirectly, financing or financial assistance related to the items referred to in paragraph 1, including in particular grants, loans and export credit insurance, for any sale, supply, transfer or export of such items, or for the provision of related technical assistance, brokering services or other services to any natural or legal person, entity or body in, or for use in, Syria.

Article 2

1.

Article 1 shall not apply to:

supplies and technical assistance intended solely for the support of or use by the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF);
the sale, supply, transfer or export of non-lethal military equipment or of equipment which might be used for internal repression, intended solely for humanitarian or protective use, or for institution building programmes of the United Nations (UN) and the European Union, or for European Union and UN crisis management operations;
the sale, supply, transfer or export of non-combat vehicles which have been manufactured or fitted with materials to provide ballistic protection, intended solely for the protective use of personnel of the European Union and its Member States in Syria;
the provision of technical assistance, brokering services and other services related to such equipment or to such programmes and operations;
the provision of financing and financial assistance related to such equipment or to such programmes and operations;

on condition that such exports and assistance have been approved in advance by the relevant competent authority.

2.

Article 1 shall not apply to protective clothing, including flak jackets and military helmets, temporarily exported to Syria by UN personnel, personnel of the European Union or its Member States, representatives of the media and humanitarian and development workers and associated personnel for their personal use only.