32001E0155

Council Common Position

of 26 February 2001

amending Common Position 2000/696/CFSP on the maintenance of specific restrictive measures directed against Mr Milosevic and persons associated with him and repealing Common Position 98/725/CFSP

(2001/155/CFSP)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Article 15 thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Common Position 2000/696/CFSP(1) maintained specific restrictive measures directed against the former President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), Mr Slobodan Milosevic and persons associated with him while lifting all other sanctions against the FRY imposed since 1998.

(2) In its conclusions of 22 January 2001, the Council welcomed the free and fair conditions in which the legislative elections in Serbia in December were held. Their outcome confirms the determination of the people of Serbia to continue the consolidation of democracy in their country.

(3) Restrictive measures should therefore be confined to the former President of the FRY, Mr Slobodan Milosevic, his family and persons indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia ("ICTY").

(4) Common Position 2000/696/CFSP should be amended accordingly.

(5) Common Position 98/725/CFSP of 14 December 1998 on restrictive measures to be taken against persons in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia acting against the independent media(2) should be repealed,

HAS ADOPTED THIS COMMON POSITION:

Article 1

Common Position 2000/696/CFSP is amended as follows:

1. Article 1 shall be replaced by the following:

"Article 1

1. The ban on the issue of visas referred to in Article 4 of Common Position 98/240/CFSP and Article 1 of Common Position 1999/318/CFSP shall be confined to the former President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), Mr Slobodan Milosevic, his family and persons indicted by the ICTY resident in the FRY, as identified in the Annex.

2. Exemptions may be made in cases where the issuing of a visa is necessary for the indictee to appear before the ICTY.

3. The list of persons identified in the Annex shall be updated by means of a Council implementing decision."

2. The Annex shall be replaced by the following:

"ANNEX

>TABLE>".

Article 2

Common Position 98/725/CFSP shall be repealed.

Article 3

This Common Position shall take effect on the day of its adoption.

Article 4

This Common Position shall be published in the Official Journal.

Done at Brussels, 26 February 2001.

For the Council

The President

A. Lindh

(1) OJ L 287, 14.11.2000, p. 1.

(2) OJ L 345, 19.12.1998, p. 1. Common Position as amended by Common Position 2000/696/CFSP.