EU countries agree on eighth package of anti-Russian sanctions

Permanent representatives of the EU countries have reached a political agreement on new sanctions against Russia – a strong EU response to Putin’s illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories.

The new sanctions envisage a ban on the sea transportation of oil to third countries at a price higher than the set one, Kommersant reports referring to the message of the Czech Representation to the EU on Twitter.

Rendering of engineering, legal and IT services to Russian organisations will be banned.

The ban on the import of steel products, paper, plastic, chemicals, cigarettes, as well as on the export of technologies will be extended.

Moreover, officials from Zaporizhzhya and Kherson regions of Ukraine, which became part of Russia, will be added to the sanctions lists.

EU members will also introduce new criteria for circumventing sanctions, no details on these criteria are given.

The Czech Representation to the EU clarified that the technical procedure for issuing sanctions has been launched.

They will enter into force from the moment they are published in the EU Official Journal.