EUR-Lex Access to European Union law
This document is an excerpt from the EUR-Lex website
Document 52013JC0012
Joint Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION concerning restrictive measures in respect of Myanmar/Burma and repealing Regulation (EC) No 194/2008
Joint Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION concerning restrictive measures in respect of Myanmar/Burma and repealing Regulation (EC) No 194/2008
Joint Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION concerning restrictive measures in respect of Myanmar/Burma and repealing Regulation (EC) No 194/2008
/* JOIN/2013/012 final - 2013/0144 (NLE) */
Joint Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION concerning restrictive measures in respect of Myanmar/Burma and repealing Regulation (EC) No 194/2008 /* JOIN/2013/012 final - 2013/0144 (NLE) */
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM (1)
Council Regulation (EC) No 194/2008 provides for
certain measures to be taken in relation to Myanmar/Burma, including
restrictions on certain exports from Myanmar/Burma and a freezing of the assets
of certain individuals and entities. (2)
The Council has decided, as a means of
encouraging positive changes to continue, to lift all restrictive measures with
the exception of the arms embargo and the embargo on equipment which might be
used for internal repression. (3)
The High Representative of the EU for Foreign
Affairs and Security Policy and the Commission propose to maintain those
restrictive measures in this proposed Regulation and repeal Council Regulation
(EC) No 194/2008. 2013/0144 (NLE) Joint Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION concerning restrictive measures in respect
of Myanmar/Burma and repealing Regulation (EC) No 194/2008 THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty on the
Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 215 thereof, Having regard to Council Decision 2013/184/CFSP
concerning restrictive measures against Myanmar/Burma and repealing Decision
2010/232/CFSP, Having regard to the joint proposal from
the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
and the Commission, Whereas: (1) Council Regulation (EC) No
194/2008 provides for certain measures to be taken in relation to Myanmar/Burma,
including restrictions on certain exports from Myanmar/Burma and a freezing of
the assets of certain individuals and entities. (2) By Council Decision 2013/184/CFSP,
the Council has agreed, as a means of encouraging positive changes to continue
that all restrictive measures should be lifted with the exception of the arms
embargo and the embargo on equipment which might be used for internal
repression. (3) Council Regulation (EC) No
194/2008 should be repealed. (4) In order to ensure that
the measures provided for in this Regulation are effective, this Regulation
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: (a) ‘import’ means any entry of goods into
the customs territory of the Union or other territories to which the Treaty
applies, under the conditions laid down in Article 299 thereof. It
includes, within the meaning of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92 of
12 October 1992 establishing the Community Customs Code[1], the placing in a free zone or
free warehouse, the placing under a suspensive procedure and the release for
free circulation, but it excludes transit and temporary storage; (b) ‘export’ means any departure of goods
from the customs territory of the Union or other territories to which the
Treaty applies, under the conditions laid down in Article 299 thereof. It
includes, within the meaning of Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92, the departure
of goods that requires a customs declaration and the departure of goods after
their storage in a free zone of control type I or free warehouse, but it
excludes transit; (c) ‘exporter’ means any natural or legal
person on whose behalf an export declaration is made, that is to say the person
who, at the time when the declaration is accepted, holds the contract with the
consignee in the third country and has the power for determining the sending of
the item out of the customs territory of the Union or other territories to
which the Treaty applies; (d) ‘technical assistance’ means any
technical support related to repairs, development, manufacture, assembly,
testing, maintenance, or any other technical service, and may take such forms
as instruction, advice, training, transmission of working knowledge or skills
or consulting services; technical assistance shall include verbal forms of
assistance; (e) ‘territory of the Union’ means the
territories to which the Treaty is applicable, under the conditions laid down
in the Treaty. Article 2 Export
restrictions 1. It shall be prohibited to
sell, supply, transfer or export, directly or indirectly, equipment which might
be used for internal repression as listed in Annex I, whether or not
originating in the Union, to any natural or legal person, entity or body in, or
for use in Myanmar/Burma. 2. Paragraph 1 shall not
apply to protective clothing, including flak jackets and helmets, temporarily
exported to Myanmar/Burma by United Nations personnel, personnel of the European
Union or its Member States, representatives of the media and humanitarian and
development workers and associated personnel for their personal use only. Article 3 1. It shall be prohibited: (a) to provide technical assistance
related to military activities and to the provision, manufacture, maintenance
and use of arms and related materiel of all types, including weapons and
ammunition, military vehicles and equipment, paramilitary equipment, and spare
parts for the aforementioned, directly or indirectly to any natural or legal
person, entity or body in, or for use in Myanmar/Burma; (b) to provide financing or financial
assistance related to military activities, including, in particular, grants,
loans and export credit insurance for any sale, supply, transfer or export of
arms and related materiel, directly or indirectly to any natural or legal
person, entity or body in, or for use in Myanmar/Burma. 2. It shall be prohibited: (a) to provide technical assistance
related to the equipment which might be used for internal repression as listed
in Annex I, directly or indirectly to any natural or legal person, entity
or body in, or for use in Myanmar/Burma; (b) to provide financing or financial
assistance related to the equipment listed in Annex I, including, in
particular, grants, loans and export credit insurance, directly or indirectly
to any natural or legal person, entity or body in, or for use in Myanmar/Burma. 3. It shall be prohibited to
participate, knowingly and intentionally, in activities the object or effect of
which is to circumvent the prohibitions referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2. 4. The prohibitions set out
in paragraphs 1(b) and 2(b) shall not give rise to liability of any kind
on the part of the natural or legal persons or entities concerned, if they did
not know, and had no reasonable cause to suspect, that their actions would
infringe these prohibitions. Article 4 1. By way of derogation from
Articles 2(1) and 3(2), the competent authorities in the Member States, as
indicated in the websites listed in Annex II, may authorise, under such
conditions as they deem appropriate: (a) the sale, supply, transfer or export
of equipment which might be used for internal repression as listed in
Annex I, intended solely for humanitarian or protective use, or for
institution-building programmes of the United Nations and the European Union,
or for European Union and United Nations crisis-management operations; (b) the sale, supply, transfer or export
of de-mining equipment and material for use in de-mining operations; and (c) the provision of financing and
financial assistance and technical assistance related to equipment, material,
programmes and operations referred to in subparagraphs (a) and (b). 2. By way of derogation from
Article 3(1), the competent authorities in the Member States, as listed in
Annex II, may authorise, under such conditions as they deem appropriate,
the provision of financing and financial assistance and technical assistance
related to: (a) non-lethal military equipment intended
solely for humanitarian or protective use, or for institution-building programmes
of the United Nations and the European Union; (b) materiel intended for European Union
and United Nations crisis-management operations. Article 5 The authorisations referred to in this
Chapter shall not be granted for activities that have already taken place. Article 6 General
and final provisions 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 7 The Commission shall be empowered to amend
Annex II on the basis of information supplied by Member States. Article 8 1. 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. 2. 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. Article 9 1. Member States shall
designate the competent authorities referred to in this Regulation and identify
them in, or through, the websites listed in Annex II. 2. Member States shall notify
the Commission of their competent authorities without delay after the entry
into force of this Regulation and shall notify it of any subsequent changes. Article 10 This Regulation shall apply: (a) within the territory of the Union, 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 Union 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 Union. Article 11 Regulation (EC) No 194/2008 is hereby
repealed. Article 12 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, For
the Council The
President ANNEX I List of equipment which might be used for internal repression as
referred to in Articles 4; 5 and 9 1. || Fire-arms, ammunition and related accessories therefor, as follows: 1.1. || Firearms not controlled by ML 1 and ML 2 of the EU Common Military List[2]; 1.2. || Ammunition specially designed for the firearms listed in 1.1 and specially designed components therefor; 1.3. || Weapon-sights not controlled by the EU Common Military List. 2. || Bombs and grenades not controlled by the EU Common Military List. 3. || Vehicles as follows: 3.1. || Vehicles equipped with a water cannon, specially designed or modified for the purpose of riot control; 3.2. || Vehicles specially designed or modified to be electrified to repel borders; 3.3. || Vehicles specially designed or modified to remove barricades, including construction equipment with ballistic protection; 3.4. || Vehicles specially designed for the transport or transfer of prisoners and/or detainees; 3.5. || Vehicles specially designed to deploy mobile barriers; 3.6. || Components for the vehicles specified in 3.1 to 3.5 specially designed for the purposes of riot control. Note 1: This item does not control vehicles specially designed for the purposes of fire-fighting. Note 2: For the purposes of item 3.5 the term ‘vehicles’ includes trailers. 4. || Explosive substances and related equipment as follows: 4.1. || Equipment and devices specially designed to initiate explosions by electrical or non-electrical means, including firing sets, detonators, igniters, boosters and detonating cord, and specially designed components therefor; except those specially designed for a specific commercial use consisting of the actuation or operation by explosive means of other equipment or devices the function of which is not the creation of explosions (e.g., car air-bag inflaters, electric-surge arresters of fire sprinkler actuators); 4.2. || Linear cutting explosive charges not controlled by the EU Common Military List; 4.3. || Other explosives not controlled by the EU Common Military List and related substances as follows: (a) amatol; (b) nitrocellulose (containing more than 12,5 % nitrogen); (c) nitroglycol; (d) pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN); (e) picryl chloride; (f) 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT). 5. || Protective equipment not controlled by ML 13 of the EU Common Military List as follows: 5.1. || Body armour providing ballistic and/or stabbing protection; 5.2. || Helmets providing ballistic and/or fragmentation protection, anti-riot helmets, antiriot shields and ballistic shields. Note: This item does not control: —equipment specially designed for sports activities; —equipment specially designed for safety of work requirements. 6. || Simulators, other than those controlled by ML 14 of the EU Common Military List, for training in the use of firearms, and specially designed software therefor. 7. || Night vision, thermal imaging equipment and image intensifier tubes, other than those controlled by the EU Common Military List. 8. || Razor barbed wire. 9. || Military knives, combat knives and bayonets with blade lengths in excess of 10 cm. 10. || Production equipment specially designed for the items specified in this list. 11. || Specific technology for the development, production or use of the items specified in this list. ANNEX II Web sites for information on the
competent authorities referred to in
Articles 4, 7 and 8
and address for notifications to the European Commission BELGIUM http://www.diplomatie.be/eusanctions BULGARIA http://www.mfa.bg/en/pages/135/index.html CZECH REPUBLIC http://www.mfcr.cz/mezinarodnisankce DENMARK http://um.dk/da/politik-og-diplomati/retsorden/sanktioner/ GERMANY http://www.bmwi.de/DE/Themen/Aussenwirtschaft/aussenwirtschaftsrecht,did=404888.html ESTONIA http://www.vm.ee/est/kat_622/ IRELAND http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=28519 GREECE http://www.mfa.gr/en/foreign-policy/global-issues/international-sanctions.html SPAIN http://www.maec.es/es/MenuPpal/Asuntos/Sanciones%20Internacionales/Paginas/Sanciones_%20Internacionales.aspx FRANCE http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/autorites-sanctions/ ITALY http://www.esteri.it/MAE/IT/Politica_Europea/Deroghe.htm CYPRUS http://www.mfa.gov.cy/sanctions LATVIA http://www.mfa.gov.lv/en/security/4539 LITHUANIA http://www.urm.lt/sanctions LUXEMBOURG http://www.mae.lu/sanctions HUNGARY http://www.kulugyminiszterium.hu/kum/hu/bal/Kulpolitikank/nemzetkozi_szankciok/ MALTA http://www.doi.gov.mt/EN/bodies/boards/sanctions_monitoring.asp NETHERLANDS www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/internationale-vrede-en-veiligheid/sancties AUSTRIA http://www.bmeia.gv.at/view.php3?f_id=12750&LNG=en&version= POLAND http://www.msz.gov.pl PORTUGAL http://www.min-nestrangeiros.pt ROMANIA http://www.mae.ro/node/1548 SLOVENIA http://www.mzz.gov.si/si/zunanja_politika_in_mednarodno_pravo/zunanja_politika/mednarodna_varnost/omejevalni_ukrepi/
SLOVAKIA http://www.mzv.sk/sk/europske_zalezitosti/sankcie_eu-sankcie_eu FINLAND http://formin.finland.fi/kvyhteistyo/pakotteet SWEDEN http://www.ud.se/sanktioner UNITED KINGDOM www.fco.gov.uk/competentauthorities Address for notifications to the
European Commission: European Commission Service for Foreign Policy Instruments
(FPI) EEAS 02/309 B-1049 Brussels Belgium E-mail: relex-sanctions@ec.europa.eu [1] OJ L 302, 19.10.1992, p. 1. Regulation as last
amended by Regulation No 1791/2006 (OJ L 363, 20.12.2006, p. 1). [2] Common Military List of the
European Union (adopted by the Council on 19 March 2007) (equipment covered by
the European Union Code of Conduct on Arms Exports) (updating and replacing the
Common Military List of the European Union adopted by the Council on 27
February 2006) (OJ L 88, 29.3.2007, p. 58).