On October 8, 2024, the EU Council adopted a new sanctions program against Russia in response to its “destabilizing” actions outside its territory. The Official Journal of the EU published EU Council Regulation No. 2024/2642 and Decision No. 2024/2643, which outline restrictions under the new sanction mechanism. The grounds for imposing blocking sanctions are detailed in Article 2 of the Regulation.
This new mechanism allows the EU Council to impose sanctions on individuals involved, according to the EU, in actions and policies of the Russian government that undermine the fundamental values, security, independence, and integrity of the EU and its member states, as well as international organizations and third countries. The EU Council will consider such actions as hybrid threats, including:
❗️ undermining electoral processes and the functioning of democratic institutions
❗️ threats and sabotage of economic activities, public services, or critical infrastructure
❗️ spreading coordinated disinformation, foreign information manipulation, and interference
❗️ malicious actions in cyberspace
❗️ facilitating the entry and transport of migrants into the EU
In this way, the EU Council has significantly expanded the list of grounds for imposing sanctions on Russian individuals.
More information:
EU Council Regulation No. 2024/2642
EU Council Decision No. 2024/2643
aml.plus team