EU Relaxes Sanctions Against Syria, Including Oil Embargo, And Ends Economic Sanctions Against Myanmar/Burma

On April 22 the Foreign Affairs Council of the EU agreed to soften sanctions against Syria and to introduce further waivers in a calculated move to recognise the Syrian National Coalition for Opposition and Revolutionary Forces (SNCORF) as the "legitimate representatives of the Syrian people."

At the same time the Council also agreed to lift all sanctions against Myanmar/Burma, except a continuing embargo on arms.

Syria

Background

Council Decision 2013/186/CFSP (April 22, 2013) is the second amending decision providing waivers of the sanctions under Council Decision 2012/739/CFSP (November 29, 2012), which provides the current sanctions framework applicable to Syria and the Government of Syria.

The earlier Decision 2013/109/CFSP (February 28, 2013) as implemented by Council Regulation 325/2013 (April 10, 2013), introduced the following waivers, all of which require prior authorization by a Member State for particular transactions:

sale, supply, transfer of or export of equipment intended for the SNCORF (and other humanitarian organizations) and for the protection of civilians; technical assistance, financing and financial assistance intended for the SNCORF and for the protection of civilians; release of certain frozen funds or economic resources necessary to satisfy the basic needs of designated natural or legal persons, entities or bodies, and the delivery of assistance for humanitarian purposes; and release of certain frozen funds or economic resources which are required to satisfy a judicial or administrative decision rendered in the Union or a judicial decision enforceable in a Member State. Relaxing the oil embargo

The purpose of new Decision 2013/186 is to relax certain key restrictions of Decision 2012/739 to the extent they prohibit transactions that would benefit SNCORF. The Decision allows waivers of the restrictions on the following activities, again subject to prior authorization of a Member State:

Crude oil and petroleum products: purchase, import or transport from Syria of crude oil and petroleum products and the provision of related financing or financial assistance, including financial derivatives, insurance and reinsurance; Key equipment for the oil and gas industry: sale, supply or transfer of key equipment and technology for the key sectors of the oil and natural gas industry in Syria, or to Syrian or Syrian-owned entities engaged in those sectors outside Syria as well as the provision of related financing or financial...