Alwaght- The European Union agreed on the 11th package of sanctions against Russia after months of deliberation.
The package for the first time in the EU's history includes the principle of extraterritorial restrictions, Tass news agency reported.
This means that the EU has given itself the right to impose sanctions against third countries and their businesses that ignore sanctions against Russia.
The major purpose of the new package, according to comments made on Friday by the European Commission (EC) and the EU Council, is to force European corporations and the rest of the world to comply with the previous ten packages.
The European bloc has included in the 11th package of sanctions a mechanism to combat their circumvention, which will allow introducing restrictions against third countries.
“New anti-circumvention tool: this will allow the EU to restrict the sale, supply, transfer or export of specified sanctioned goods and technology to certain third countries whose jurisdictions are considered to be at continued and particularly high risk of circumvention. This new ‘anti-circumvention’ tool will be an exceptional and last resort measure when other individual measures and outreach by the EU to concerned third countries have been insufficient to prevent circumvention," the statement said.
The sanctions target over 100 individuals and entities, EU sources said, adding that they included military officials and decision makers.
The key part in this package is the crackdown on the companies doing business with Russia.
“Addition of 87 new entities to the list of those directly supporting Russia's military and industrial complex in its war of aggression against Ukraine. They are subject to tighter export restrictions for dual-use and advanced technology items," the European Commission said.
The bloc also added to the previous sanctions, both on Russian exports and imports.
The new sanctions target the country's imports of technology and electronic sectors. Semiconductors, optical components, navigation equipment, and a variety of metals are banned from being exported to Russia.
The West imposed comprehensive sanctions on Moscow since the latter launched its “special military operation” in Ukraine to “check NATO expansion.”
