COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 305/2006

of 21 February 2006

imposing specific restrictive measures against certain persons suspected of involvement in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Articles 60, 301 and 308 thereof,

Having regard to Council Common Position 2005/888/CFSP of 12 December 2005 concerning specific restrictive measures against certain persons suspected of involvement in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri (1),

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (2),

Whereas:

(1)

On 31 October 2005, the Security Council of the United Nations adopted Resolution 1636 (2005) noting the conclusion of the report of the International Investigation Commission into the 14 February 2005 terrorist bombing in Beirut, Lebanon, that killed 23 people, including former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, and caused injury to dozens of people.

(2)

The Security Council noted with extreme concern the International Investigation Commission’s conclusion that there is converging evidence pointing at the involvement of both Lebanese and Syrian officials in this terrorist act, and acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, decided, as a step to assist in the investigation of this crime and without prejudice to the ultimate judicial determination of the guilt or innocence of any individual, to impose measures against all individuals suspected of involvement in the planning, sponsoring, organizing or perpetrating of this terrorist act.

(3)

Common Position 2005/888/CFSP provides for implementation of the measures set out in UNSCR 1636 (2005) and, in particular, the freezing of funds and economic resources of persons registered by the Committee of the Security Council established by paragraph 3(b) of UNSCR 1636 (2005) as suspected of involvement in the planning, sponsoring, organising or perpetrating of the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and others on 14 February 2005.

(4)	These measures fall within the scope of the Treaty and, therefore, notably with a view to ensuring their uniform application by economic operators in all Member States, Community legislation is necessary to implement them as far as the Community is concerned.

(5)	For reasons of expediency, the Commission should be empowered to amend the Annexes to this Regulation, on the basis of notification or information by the relevant Sanctions Committee and Member States, as appropriate.

(6)	Member States should determine the penalties applicable to infringements of the provisions of this Regulation. The penalties provided for should be proportionate, effective and dissuasive.

(7)	In order to ensure that the measures provided for in this Regulation are effective, it should enter into force on the day of its publication,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

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

1.	‘Sanctions Committee’ means the Committee of the Security Council of the United Nations which was established pursuant to paragraph 3(b) of UNSCR 1636 (2005);

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

(a)	cash, cheques, claims on money, drafts, money orders and other payment instruments;

(b)	deposits with financial institutions or other entities, balances on accounts, debts and debt obligations;

(c)	publicly and privately traded securities and debt instruments, including stocks and shares, certificates representing securities, bonds, notes, warrants, debentures and derivatives contracts;

(d)	interest, dividends or other income on or value accruing from or generated by assets;

(e)	credit, right of set-off, guarantees, performance bonds or other financial commitments;

(f)	letters of credit, bills of lading, bills of sale;

(g)	documents evidencing an interest in funds or financial resources;

‘freezing 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 other change that would enable the funds to be used, including portfolio management;

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

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

6.	‘territory of the Community’ means the territories of the Member States to which the Treaty is applicable, under the conditions laid down in that Treaty.

Article 2

1. All funds and economic resources belonging to, owned, held or controlled by the natural or legal persons, entities or bodies 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 the natural or legal persons, entities or bodies listed in Annex I.

3. The participation, knowingly and intentionally, in activities the object or effect of which is, directly or indirectly, to circumvent the measures referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 shall be prohibited.

Article 3

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

(a)	necessary for basic expenses, including payments for foodstuffs, rent or mortgage, medicines and medical treatment, taxes, insurance premiums, and public utility charges;

(b)	intended exclusively for payment of reasonable professional fees and reimbursement of incurred expenses associated with the provision of legal services; or

(c)	intended exclusively for payment of fees or service charges for routine holding or maintenance of frozen funds or economic resources;

provided that the Member State concerned has notified the Sanctions Committee of that determination and that the determination has been approved by that Committee.

2. The relevant competent authority shall inform the competent authorities of the other Member States and the Commission of any authorisation granted under paragraph 1.

3. Article 2(2) shall not apply to the addition to frozen accounts of interest or other earnings on those accounts provided that any such interest or other earnings are frozen in accordance with Article 2(1).

Article 4

Article 2(2) shall not prevent the crediting of the frozen accounts by financial institutions that receive funds transferred by third parties to the account of a listed person, entity or body, provided that any such crediting to such accounts is also frozen in accordance with Article 2(1). The financial institution shall inform the competent authorities of such transactions without delay.

Article 5

1. Without prejudice to the applicable rules concerning reporting, confidentiality and professional secrecy and to the provisions of Article 284 of the Treaty, natural and legal persons, entities and bodies shall:

(a)

supply immediately any information which would facilitate compliance with this Regulation, such as accounts and amounts frozen in accordance with Article 2, to the competent authorities of the Member States listed in Annex II where they are resident or located, and shall transmit such information, directly or through these competent authorities, to the Commission;

(b)	cooperate with the competent authorities listed in Annex II in any verification of this information.

2. Any additional information directly received by the Commission shall be made available to the competent authorities of the Member State concerned.

3. Any information provided or received in accordance with this Article shall be used only for the purposes for which it was provided or received. Such purposes shall be deemed to include cooperation with any international investigation related to the assets or financial transactions of the natural and legal persons, bodies and entities listed in Annex I.

Article 6

The freezing of funds and economic resources or the refusal to make funds or economic resources available, carried out in good faith that such action is in accordance with this Regulation, shall not give rise to liability of any kind on the part of the natural or legal person, entity or body implementing it, or its directors or employees, unless it is proved that the funds and economic resources were frozen as result of negligence.

Article 7

The Commission and Member States shall immediately inform each other of the measures taken under this Regulation and shall supply each other with any other relevant information at their disposal in connection with this Regulation, in particular information in respect of violation and enforcement problems and judgments handed down by national courts.

Article 8

1. The Commission shall be empowered to:

(a)	amend Annex I on the basis of determinations made by the Sanctions Committee; and

(b)	amend Annex II on the basis of information supplied by Member States.

2. Without prejudice to the rights and obligations of the Member States under the Charter of the United Nations, the Commission shall maintain all necessary contacts with the Sanctions Committee for the purpose of the effective implementation of this Regulation.

Article 9

Member States shall lay down the rules on penalties applicable to infringements of the provisions of this Regulation and shall take all measures necessary to ensure that they are implemented. The penalties provided for must be effective, proportionate and dissuasive.

Member States shall notify the Commission of those rules without delay after the entry into force of this Regulation and shall notify it of any subsequent amendment to them.

Article 10

This Regulation shall apply:

(a)	within the territory of the Community, including its airspace;

(b)	on board any aircraft or any vessel under the jurisdiction of a Member State;

(c)	to any person inside or outside the territory of the Community who is a national of a Member State;

(d)	to any legal person, entity or body which is incorporated or constituted under the law of a Member State;

(e)	to any legal person, entity or body in respect of any business done in whole or in part within the Community.

Article 11

This Regulation shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 21 February 2006.

For the Council

The President

K. GASTINGER

(1) OJ L 327, 14.12.2005, p. 26.

(2) Not yet published in the Official Journal.

ANNEX II

List of competent authorities referred to in Articles 3, 4 and 5

BELGIUM

Federale Overheidsdienst Financiën Thesaurie

Kunstlaan 30

B-1040 Brussel

Fax: (32-2) 233 74 65

E-mail: Quesfinvragen.tf@minfin.fed.be

Service Public Fédéral des Finances

Trésorerie

30 Avenue des Arts

B-1040 Bruxelles

Fax: 00 32 2 233 74 65

E-mail: Quesfinvragen.tf@minfin.fed.be

CZECH REPUBLIC

Ministerstvo financí

Finanční analytický útvar

P.O. BOX 675

Jindřišská 14

111 21 Praha 1

Tel.: +420 2 5704 4501

Fax: +420 2 5704 4502

Ministerstvo zahraničních věcí

Odbor společné zahraniční a bezpečnostní politiky EU

Loretánské nám. 5

118 00 Praha 1

Tel.: +420 2 2418 2987

Fax: +420 2 2418 4080

DENMARK

Erhvervs- og Byggestyrelsen

Langelinie Allé 17

DK-2100 København K

Tlf. (45) 35 46 62 81

Fax (45) 35 46 62 03

Udenrigsministeriet

Asiatisk Plads 2

DK-1448 København K

Tlf. (45) 33 92 00 00

Fax (45) 32 54 05 33

Justitsministeriet

Slotholmsgade 10

DK-1216 København K

Tlf. (45) 33 92 33 40

Fax (45) 33 93 35 10

GERMANY

Concerning funds:

Deutsche Bundesbank

Servicezentrum Finanzsanktionen

Postfach

D-80281 München

Tel.: (49) 89 28 89 3800

Fax: (49) 69 709097 3800

Concerning economic resources

—

for information in accordance with Art. 5:

Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Technologie

Referat V B 2

Scharnhorststr. 34—37

D-10115 Berlin

Tel.: 01888-615-9

Fax: 01888-615-5358

Email: BUERO-VB2@bmwi.bund.de

—

for granting of exemptions in accordance with Art. 3:

Bundesamt für Wirtschaft und Ausfuhrkontrolle (BAFA)

Frankfurter Straße 29—35

D-65760 Eschborn

Tel.: (49) 6196 908-0

Fax: (49) 6196 908-800

ESTONIA

Eesti Välisministeerium

Islandi väljak 1

15049 Tallinn

Tel.: + 372 6317 100

Faks: + 372 6317 199

Finantsinspektsioon

Sakala 4

15030 Tallinn

Tel.: + 372 6680 500

Faks: + 372 6680 501

GREECE

A. Freezing of Assets

Ministry of Economy and Finance

General Directory of Economic Policy

Address: 5 Nikis Str.

10 563 Athens — Greece

Tel.: + 30 210 3332786

Fax: + 30 210 3332810

Α. Δέσμευση κεφαλαίων

Υπουργείο Οικονομίας και Οικονομικών

Γενική Δ/νση Οικονομικής Πολιτικής

Δ/νση: Νίκης 5

10 563 Αθήνα

Τηλ.: + 30 210 3332786

Φαξ: + 30 210 3332810

B. Import-Export restrictions

Ministry of Economy and Finance

General Directorate for Policy Planning and Management

Address: Kornarou Str. 1

10 563 Athens

Tel.: + 30 210 3286401-3

Fax: + 30 210 3286404

Β. Περιορισμοί εισαγωγών — εξαγωγών

Υπουργείο Οικονομίας και Οικονομικών

Γενική Δ/νση Σχεδιασμού και Διαχείρισης Πολιτικής

Δ/νση: Κορνάρου 1

Τ.Κ. 10 563 Αθήνα — Ελλάς

Τηλ.: + 30 210 3286401-3

Φαξ: + 30 210 3286404

SPAIN

Dirección General del Tesoro y Política Financiera

Subdirección General de Inspección y Control de Movimientos de Capitales

Ministerio de Economía

Paseo del Prado, 6

E-28014 Madrid

Tel.: (34) 912 09 95 11

Dirección General de Comercio e Inversiones

Subdirección General de Inversiones Exteriores

Ministerio de Industria, Comercio y Turismo

Paseo de la Castellana, 162

E-28046 Madrid

Tel.: (34) 913 49 39 83

FRANCE

Ministère de l'économie, des finances et de l'industrie

Direction générale du Trésor et de la politique économique

Service des affaires multilatérales et du développement

Sous-direction Politique commerciale et investissements

Service Services, Investissements et Propriété intellectuelle

139, rue de Bercy

75572 Paris Cedex 12

Tél.: (33) 1 44 87 72 85

Télécopieur: (33) 1 53 18 96 55

Ministère des affaires étrangères

Direction générale des affaires politiques et de sécurité

Service de la politique étrangère et de sécurité commune

37, Quai d'Orsay

75007 Paris

Tél.: (33) 1 43 17 45 16

Télécopieur: (33) 1 43 17 45 84

IRELAND

United Nations Section

Department of Foreign Affairs

Iveagh House

79-80 Saint Stephen's Green

Dublin 2

Tel.: + 353 1 478 0822

Fax: + 353 1 408 2165

Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland

Financial Markets Department

Dame Street

Dublin 2

Tel.: + 353 1 671 6666

Fax: + 353 1 679 8882

ITALY

Ministero degli Affari Esteri

Piazzale della Farnesina, 1

I-00194 Roma

D.G.M.M. — Ufficio II

Tel.: (39) 06 3691 2296

Fax: (39) 06 3691 3567

Ministero dell'Economia e delle Finanze

Dipartimento del Tesoro

Comitato di Sicurezza Finanziaria

Via XX Settembre, 97

I-00187 Roma

Tel.: (39) 06 4761 3942

Fax: (39) 06 4761 3032

CYPRUS

Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism

6 Andrea Araouzou

1421 Nicosia

Tel: + 357 22 86 71 00

Fax: + 357 22 31 60 71

Central Bank of Cyprus

80 Kennedy Avenue

1076 Nicosia

Tel: + 357 22 71 41 00

Fax: + 357 22 37 81 53

Ministry of Finance (Department of Customs)

M. Karaoli

1096 Nicosia

Tel: + 357 22 60 11 06

Fax: + 357 22 60 27 41/47

LATVIA

Latvijas Republikas Prokuratūra

Noziedzīgi iegūtu līdzekļu legalizācijas novēršanas dienests

Kalpaka bulvāris 6

Rīga, LV-1801

Tel.: (371) 70144431

Fax: (371) 7044804

Latvijas Republikas Ārlietu ministrija

Brīvības bulvāris 36

Rīga, LV-1395

Tel.: (371) 7016201

Fax: (371) 7828121

LITHUANIA

Saugumo politikos departamentas

Lietuvos Respublikos užsienio reikalų ministerija

J. Tumo-Vaižganto 2

LT-01511 Vilnius

Lithuania

Tel. +370 5 236 25 16

Fax. +370 5 231 30 90

LUXEMBOURG

Ministère des Affaires étrangères et de l’Immigration

Direction des Relations économiques internationales

5, rue Notre-Dame

L-2240 Luxembourg

Tél.: (352) 478 2346

Fax: (352) 22 20 48

Ministère des Finances

3, rue de la Congrégation

L-1352 Luxembourg

Tél.: (352) 478 2712

Fax: (352) 47 52 41

HUNGARY

Hungarian National Police Headquarters

Teve u. 4–6.

H-1139 Budapest

Hungary

Tel./fax: +36-1-443-5554

Országos Rendőrfőkapitányság

1139 Budapest, Teve u. 4–6.

Magyarország

Tel./fax: +36-1-443-5554

Ministry of Finance

József nádor tér. 2–4.

H-1051 Budapest

Hungary

Postbox: 1139 Pf.: 481

Tel.: +36-1-318-2066, +36-1-327-2100

Fax: +36-1-318-2570, +36-1-327-2749

Pénzügyminisztérium

1051 Budapest, József nádor tér. 2–4.

Magyarország

Postafiók: 1139 Pf.: 481

Tel.: +36-1-318-2066, +36-1-327-2100

Fax: +36-1-318-2570, +36-1-327-2749

MALTA

Bord ta' Sorveljanza dwar is-Sanzjonijiet

Ministeru ta' l-Affarijiet Barranin

Palazzo Parisio

Triq il-Merkanti

Valletta CMR 02

Tel.: + 356 21 24 28 53

Fax: + 356 21 25 15 20

NETHERLANDS

De Minister van Financiën

Directie Financiële Markten/Afdeling Integriteit

Postbus 20201

NL-2500 EE

Den Haag

Tel.: (31-70) 342 89 97

Fax: (31-70) 342 79 84

AUSTRIA

A. Freezing of Assets

Österreichische Nationalbank

(Austrian National Bank)

Otto-Wagner-Platz 3

A-1090 Wien

Tel. (+ 43-1) 404 20-0

Fax (+ 43-1) 404 20-7399

B. Import-Export restrictions and all other restrictions

Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Arbeit

(Federal Ministry of Economics and Labour)

Abteilung C2/2 (Ausfuhrkontrolle)

Stubenring 1

A-1010 Wien

Tel. (+ 43-1) 711 00-0

Fax (+ 43-1) 711 00-8386

POLAND

Ministerstwo Finansów

Generalny Inspektor Informacji Finansowej (GIIF)

ul. Świętokrzyska 12

00–916 Warszawa

Poland

Tel. (+48 22) 694 59 70

Faks (+48 22) 694 54 50

PORTUGAL

Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros

Direcção-Geral dos Assuntos Multilaterais

Largo do Rilvas

P-1350-179 Lisboa

Tel.: (351) 21 394 67 02

Fax: (351) 21 394 60 73

Ministério das Finanças

Direcção-Geral dos Assuntos Europeus e Relações

Internacionais

Avenida Infante D. Henrique n.o 1, C, 2.o

P-1100 Lisboa

Tel.: (351) 21 882 3390/8

Fax: (351) 21 882 3399

SLOVENIA

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Prešernova 25

SI-1000 Ljubljana

Tel.: 00386 1 478 2000

Faks: 00386 1 478 2341

Ministry of the Economy

Kotnikova 5

SI-1000 Ljubljana

Tel.: 00386 1 478 3311

Faks: 00386 1 433 1031

Ministry of Defence

Kardeljeva pl. 25

SI-1000 Ljubljana

Tel.: 00386 1 471 2211

Faks: 00386 1 431 8164

SLOVAKIA

Ministerstvo financií Slovenskej republiky

Štefanovičova 5

P.O. BOX 82

817 82 Bratislava

Tel.: 00421 2 5958 1111

Fax: 00421 2 5249 3048

FINLAND

Ulkoasiainministeriö/Utrikesministeriet

PL/PB 176

FIN-00161 Helsinki/Helsingfors

Tel (358-9) 16 00 5

Fax (358-9) 16 05 57 07

SWEDEN

Article 3:

Försäkringskassan

SV-103 51 Stockholm

Tfn +46 (0) 8 786 90 00

Fax +46 (0) 8 411 27 89

Articles 4 and 5:

Finansinspektionen

Box 6750

SV-113 85 Stockholm

Tfn +46 (0) 8 787 80 00

Fax +46 (0) 8 24 13 35

UNITED KINGDOM

HM Treasury

Financial Systems and International Standards

1, Horse Guards Road

London SW1A 2HQ

United Kingdom

Tel. + 44 (0) 20 7270 4901

Fax + 44 (0) 20 7270 5430

Bank of England

Financial Sanctions Unit

Threadneedle Street

London EC2R 8AH

United Kingdom

Tel. + 44 (0) 20 7601 4768

Fax + 44 (0) 20 7601 4309

EUROPEAN COMMUNITY

Commission of the European Communities

Directorate-General for External Relations

Directorate Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP): Commission Coordination and Contribution

Legal and institutional matters, CFSP Joint Actions, Sanctions, Kimberley Process

CHAR 12/163

B-1049 Bruxelles/Brussel

Tel. (32-2) 295 55 85/299 11 76

Fax (32-2) 296 75 63

E-mail: relex-sanctions@cec.eu.int