EU plans new sanctions against Russia without Hungary and Slovakia’s veto – media
Pravda Ukraine
The European Commission intends to propose sanctions against Russia that will, for the first time, avoid a veto by Hungary and Slovakia.
Source: correspondent of the Polish RMF FM radio station, as reported by European Pravda
Details: Sanctions are expected to be imposed on Russian and Belarusian fertilisers and other agri-food products.
As the decision concerns commerce, it is expected to be made by a qualified majority rather than unanimously. Hungary and Slovakia will thus be unable to exercise their veto power.
The tariffs should be sufficiently high that imports of these products are effectively halted.
The EU put levies on cereals and oilseeds from Russia and Belarus in May of last year, but not as part of the sanctions package. Since then, the European Commission has examined broadening the possibility of implementing sanctions without requiring unanimity.
Brussels believes that the EU countries have reached a “ceiling” regarding their ability to adopt sanctions decisions unanimously, as evidenced by the increasingly weak sanctions packages.
The European Commission also wants to target Russia’s shadow fleet, or ships that illegally transport Russian oil. Apart from blacklisting more Russian ships (currently 72 out of 600 ships in the shadow fleet are blacklisted), more creative solutions are being considered, such as requiring them to carry oil spill insurance. Denmark, Poland and other Baltic countries are preparing such solutions.
Background:
- Poland, which currently holds the EU presidency, wants a new package of sanctions to be adopted on the third anniversary of the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine on 24 February.
- Earlier, it was reported that the 16th package of EU sanctions against Russia would target aluminium, agricultural products, the shadow fleet, liquefied gas and Russian banks.
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