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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

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

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 215 thereof,

Having regard to Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP of 17 March 2014 concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine(1),

Having regard to the joint proposal of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and of the European Commission,

Whereas:

  1. On 6 March 2014, the Heads of State or Government of the Union's Member States strongly condemned the unprovoked violation of Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity by the Russian Federation and called on the Russian Federation to immediately withdraw its armed forces to the areas of their permanent stationing, in accordance with the relevant agreements. They called on the Russian Federation to enable immediate access for international monitors. The Heads of State or Government considered that the decision by the Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea to hold a referendum on the future status of the territory is contrary to the Ukrainian Constitution and therefore illegal.

  2. The Heads of State or Government decided to take actions, including those envisaged by the Council on 3 March 2014, notably to suspend bilateral talks with the Russian Federation on visa matters as well as talks with the Russian Federation on a comprehensive new Agreement which would replace the existing Partnership and Cooperation Agreement.

  3. The Heads of State or Government underlined that the solution to the crisis should be found through negotiations between the Governments of Ukraine and of the Russian Federation, including through potential multilateral mechanisms, and that in the absence of results within a limited timeframe the Union will decide on additional measures, such as travel bans, asset freezes and the cancellation of the EU-Russia summit.

  4. On 17 March 2014, the Council adopted Decision 2014/145/CFSP providing for travel restrictions and for the freezing of funds and economic resources of certain persons responsible for actions which undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, including actions on the future status of any part of the territory which are contrary to the Ukrainian Constitution, and natural or legal persons, entities or bodies associated with them. Those natural or legal persons, entities and bodies are listed in the Annex to that Decision.

  5. Some of those measures fall within the scope of the Treaty and, therefore, in particular with a view to ensuring their uniform application in all Member States, regulatory action at the level of the Union is necessary in order to implement them.

  6. This Regulation respects the fundamental rights and observes the principles recognised in particular by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and in particular the right to an effective remedy and to a fair trial and the right to the protection of personal data. This Regulation should be applied in accordance with those rights and principles.

  7. The power to amend the list in Annex I to this Regulation should be exercised by the Council, in view of the serious political situation in Ukraine, and to ensure consistency with the process for amending and reviewing the Annex to Decision 2014/145/CFSP.

  8. The procedure for amending the list in Annex I to this Regulation should include providing designated natural or legal persons, entities or bodies with the grounds for listing, so as to give them an opportunity to submit observations. Where observations are submitted, or substantial new evidence is presented, the Council should review its decision in light of those observations and inform the person, entity or body concerned accordingly.

  9. For the implementation of this Regulation, and in order to create maximum legal certainty within the Union, the names and other relevant data concerning natural and legal persons, entities and bodies whose funds and economic resources should be frozen in accordance with this Regulation, are to be made public. Any processing of personal data should comply with Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council(2) and Directive 95/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council(3).

  10. In order to ensure that the measures provided for in this Regulation are effective, it should enter into force immediately,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions apply:

  1. ‘claim’ means any claim, whether asserted by legal proceedings or not, made before or after 17 March 2014, under or in connection with a contract or transaction, and includes in particular:

    1. a claim for performance of any obligation arising under or in connection with a contract or transaction;

    2. a claim for extension or payment of a bond, financial guarantee or indemnity of whatever form;

    3. a claim for compensation in respect of a contract or transaction;

    4. a counterclaim;

    5. a claim for the recognition or enforcement, including by the procedure of exequatur, of a judgment, an arbitration award or an equivalent decision, wherever made or given;

  2. ‘contract or transaction’ means any transaction of whatever form, whatever the applicable law, and whether comprising one or more contracts or similar obligations made between the same or different parties; for this purpose ‘contract’ includes a bond, guarantee or indemnity, particularly a financial guarantee or financial indemnity, and credit, whether legally independent or not, as well as any related provision arising under, or in connection with, the transaction;

  3. ‘competent authorities’ means the competent authorities of the Member States as identified on the websites listed in Annex II;

  4. ‘economic resources’ means assets of every kind, whether tangible or intangible, movable or immovable, which are not funds but may be used to obtain funds, goods or services;

  5. ‘reezing of economic resources’ means preventing the use of economic resources to obtain funds, goods or services in any way, including, but not limited to, by selling, hiring or mortgaging them;

  6. ‘reezing of funds’ means preventing any move, transfer, alteration, use of, access to, or dealing with funds in any way that would result in any change in their volume, amount, location, ownership, possession, character, destination or any other change that would enable the funds to be used, including portfolio management;

  7. ‘funds’ means financial assets and benefits of every kind, including, but not limited to:

    1. cash, cheques, claims on money, drafts, money orders and other payment instruments;

    2. deposits with financial institutions or other entities, balances on accounts, debts and debt obligations;

    3. publicly- and privately-traded securities and debt instruments, including stocks and shares, certificates representing securities, bonds, notes, warrants, debentures and derivatives contracts;

    4. interest, dividends or other income on or value accruing from or generated by assets;

    5. credit, right of set-off, guarantees, performance bonds or other financial commitments;

    6. letters of credit, bills of lading, bills of sale; and

    7. documents showing evidence of an interest in funds or financial resources;

  8. ‘territory of the Union’ means the territories of the Member States to which the Treaty is applicable, under the conditions laid down in the Treaty, including their airspace.

Article 2

1.

All funds and economic resources belonging to, owned, held or controlled by any natural or legal persons, entities or bodies, or natural or legal persons, entities or bodies associated with them, as listed in Annex I, shall be frozen.

2.

No funds or economic resources shall be made available, directly or indirectly, to or for the benefit of natural or legal persons, entities or bodies, or natural or legal persons, entities or bodies associated with them, as listed in Annex I.

Article 3

1.

Annex I shall include natural persons responsible for, actively supporting or implementing, actions or policies which undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, or stability or security in Ukraine, or which obstruct the work of international organisations in Ukraine, and natural or legal persons, entities or bodies associated with them, or legal persons, entities or bodies in Crimea or Sevastopol whose ownership has been transferred contrary to Ukrainian law, or legal persons, entities or bodies which have benefited from such a transfer.

2.

Annex I shall include the grounds for the listing of natural or legal persons, entities or bodies concerned.

3.

Annex I shall include, where available, information necessary to identify the natural or legal persons, entities or bodies concerned. With regard to natural persons, such information may include names including aliases, date and place of birth, nationality, passport and ID card numbers, gender, address, if known, and function or profession. With regard to legal persons, entities and bodies, such information may include names, place and date of registration, registration number and place of business.

Article 4

1.

By way of derogation from Article 2, the competent authorities of the Member States may authorise the release of certain frozen funds or economic resources, or the making available of certain funds or economic resources, under such conditions as they deem appropriate, after having determined that the funds or economic resources concerned are:

  1. necessary to satisfy the basic needs of natural or legal persons, entities or bodies listed in Annex I, and dependent family members of such natural persons, including payments for foodstuffs, rent or mortgage, medicines and medical treatment, taxes, insurance premiums, and public utility charges;

  2. intended exclusively for payment of reasonable professional fees or reimbursement of incurred expenses associated with the provision of legal services;

  3. intended exclusively for payment of fees or service charges for routine holding or maintenance of frozen funds or economic resources; or

  4. necessary for extraordinary expenses, provided that the relevant competent authority has notified the grounds on which it considers that a specific authorisation should be granted to the competent authorities of the other Member States and to the Commission at least two weeks prior to authorisation.

2.

The Member State concerned shall inform the other Member States and the Commission of any authorisation granted under paragraph 1.

Article 5

Article 6

Article 7

Article 8

Article 9

Article 10

Article 11

Article 12

Article 13

Article 14

Article 15

Article 16

Article 17

Article 18

ANNEX I

ANNEX II