(1)

On 17 March 2014, the Council adopted Decision 2014/145/CFSP (1).

(2)

The Union remains unwavering in its support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

(3)

In its conclusions of 9 February 2023, the European Council reiterated the Union’s resolute condemnation of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, which constitutes a manifest violation of the United Nations Charter. The European Council also reiterated that the Union stands ready to continue to reinforce its restrictive measures against Russia.

(4)

The Council has assessed that a relationship of mutual benefit and support exists between the Government of the Russian Federation and leading businesspersons operating in Russia. In particular, the Government of the Russian Federation has systematically allowed prominent Russian businesspersons to accumulate their wealth through the exploitation of natural and other public resources. The Council considers, in view of this relationship of interdependence between leading businesspersons and the Government of the Russian Federation, that the designation criteria should cover leading businesspersons operating in any economic sector of Russia. In addition, the Council considers that the designation criteria should be extended to allow for the listing as appropriate of other businesspersons who are involved in economic sectors providing a substantial source of revenue to the Government of the Russian Federation, in order to increase pressure on the Government of the Russian Federation to bring an end to its war of aggression against Ukraine.

(5)

The Council has also assessed that leading Russian businesspersons have engaged in a systematic practice of distributing their funds and assets amongst their immediate family members and other persons, often in order to hide their assets, to circumvent the restrictive measures and to maintain control over the resources available to them. Therefore, the Council considers that immediate family members or other natural persons, who benefit in such a way from leading businesspersons operating in Russia, should also be designated as appropriate, in order to both increase pressure on the Government of the Russian Federation to bring an end to its war of aggression against Ukraine as well as to avoid the risk of circumvention of the restrictive measures.

(6)

Further action by the Union is needed in order to implement certain measures.

(7)

Decision 2014/145/CFSP should therefore be amended accordingly,

(1)

in Article 1(1), point (e) is replaced by the following:

(2)

in Article 2(1), point (g) is replaced by the following: