Overview of the 17th package of EU sanctions

The EU has updated the list of vessels in Annex XVI to Decision 2014/512/CFSP to include a further 189 vessels that are part of the "shadow fleet" of oil tankers or contribute to Russia's energy revenues, bringing the total number of listed vessels to 342[4][5].

The vessels were identified jointly with Member States and the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA). They are now subject to a ban on entering ports and a ban on services being provided to them.

The 17^th package includes an extension of the exemption from the oil price cap for Japanese customers of the Sakhalin-project 2 for one year until 28 June 2026[6]. The exemption allows the transportation of crude oil and condensate produced under the Sakhalin-2 project in Russia by ships to Japan, and the provision of technical assistance, brokerage services, and financing related to such transportation. 

The package further expands the list of dual-use goods and advanced technologies subject to export restrictions, and in particular those intended for military use[7], such as:

• chemical precursors for energy materials (sodium chlorate, potassium chlorate, aluminum powder, magnesium powder and boron powder)
• spare parts and components of high-precision computer numerical control (CNC) machines. Although the machines are already largely covered by the sanctions already in place, spare parts such as ball screws and encoders have been added to the package.

31 names have been added to the list of individuals and entities set out in Annex IV to Decision 2014/512/CFSP[8]. The annex contains a list of entities from industry and the military-industrial complex that should be subject to stricter export restrictions on the supply of dual-use and military goods. The update includes 18 companies established in Russia, 6 in Turkey, 3 in Vietnam, 2 in the UAE, 1 in Serbia and 1 in Uzbekistan.

Under this program, sanctions can now be imposed on tangible assets, which are defined as identifiable movable and immovable property associated with destabilizing activities, including vessels, aircraft, real estate, ports and airports, and physical elements of digital and communication networks.

EU legal entities and individuals will be prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in any transactions involving such assets. So far, the list of such assets is empty.

A ban is imposed on European persons entering into transactions and establishing relations with financial institutions and crypto providers from third countries if they are involved in transactions that directly or indirectly support the activities of persons and entities included in Annex IV to the new Regulation 2024/2642 on measures to counter the destabilizing influence of Russia abroad[10].

The list in Annex IV is currently empty, but it may include entities that provide technical or operational support to the above individuals and entities.

The sanctions list may include media outlets, legal entities and organizations from any country that disseminate or facilitate the dissemination of content if they are involved in a systematic, international campaign of information manipulation and distortion of facts.

Restrictions on such entities include:

• the suspension of broadcasting licenses in EU countries,
• a ban on the distribution and advertising of content in any format (broadcast, online, print and digital channels),
• a ban on the conclusion of content distribution agreements in the EU.

As in the case of other new sanctions instruments under the anti-destabilization program, the list of such entities is currently empty.