EU restrictive measures in view of Türkiye’s unauthorised drilling activities in the eastern Mediterranean

KEY POINTS

Restrictive measures

Restrictive measures will be applied to individuals, bodies and entities, and their associates listed in the Annex, that:

• are responsible for or involved in drilling activities in relation to hydrocarbon exploration and production, or hydrocarbon extraction resulting from such activities, which have not been authorised by Cyprus, within its territorial sea or in its exclusive economic zone or on its continental shelf; or
• provide financial, technical or material support for these activities.

To maximise their impact, the EU encourages non-EU countries to adopt similar restrictive measures.

Travel prohibitions

EU Member States must prevent individuals (as listed in the Annex) from entering or transiting through their territories.

The following exceptions apply:

• a Member State is not obliged to refuse entry to its own nationals; or
• where a Member State is bound by international law:
  • as a host country of an international intergovernmental organisation,
  • as a host country to a United Nations international conference, or
  • under a multilateral agreement conferring special privileges and immunities;
• where a Member State grants exemption for travel:
  • on the grounds of urgent humanitarian need,
  • to fulfil a judicial process,
  • to attend an intergovernmental meeting,
  • to attend a meeting promoted or hosted by the EU, or
  • to attend a meeting (chaired by the Member State) of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe discussing the restrictions’ policy objectives.

Financial restrictions

All funds and economic resources belonging to, owned, held or controlled by listed individuals, bodies and entities are frozen.

No funds or economic resources can be made available directly or indirectly to or for the benefit of those listed in the Annex.

Member State may authorise certain frozen funds or economic resources to be released:

• to satisfy basic needs, including payment for food, rent, medicines, taxes and utilities;
• to pay for reasonable professional fees;
• to pay fees for holding the frozen funds;
• for extraordinary expenses, by agreement with Member States and the European Commission and with at least 2 weeks’ notice;
• to be paid into or from an account of a diplomatic or consular mission or an international organisation enjoying immunities for official purposes.

Individuals and entities subject to restrictive measures

The Council of the European Union, by unanimous agreement, establishes and amends the list set out in the Annex acting on proposals by Member States or the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The decision is kept under constant review and renewed or amended, as appropriate, if the Council decides that its objectives have not been met.

The following individuals were listed on 27 February 2020.

• Mehmet Ferruh Akalın, Vice-President (Assistant General Manager) and member of the Board of Directors of the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) and head of TPAO’s Exploration Department and responsible for planning, directing and implementing TPAO’s offshore hydrocarbon exploration activities, including drilling which has not been authorised by Cyprus.
• Ali Coşkun Namoğlu, Deputy Director of TPAO’s Exploration Department and involved in planning, directing and implementing TPAO’s offshore hydrocarbon exploration activities, including drilling, which have not been authorised by Cyprus.