The European Union could add 30 vessels linked to Russia’s shadow fleet in July.

The draft maritime list

Insurance Journal reports, citing sources, that the next European Union sanctions package could add 30 vessels linked to Russia’s shadow fleet . The same article states that adoption of the package is being discussed for July . The draft described by those sources concerns vessel listings and the criteria applicable to those listings .

According to Insurance Journal, the draft would broaden the listing criteria to vessels involved in supplying sanctioned ships or unloading their cargo . The source does not publish, in the available extract, the named list of the 30 vessels mentioned . Nor does it specify, in that extract, the flags, owners, ports of call or IMO numbers associated with those vessels .

The EUR-Lex summary of European Union restrictive measures linked to Russia’s war against Ukraine cites Council Decision 2014/512/CFSP and Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 among the instruments targeting Russia’s actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine . The same summary cites Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP and Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 for measures concerning actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine .

No draft text, annex or named list corresponding to the 30 vessels reported by Insurance Journal is reproduced in the extract provided .

The proposed listing criteria

According to the sources cited by Insurance Journal, the draft European Union sanctions package would broaden the listing criteria applicable to vessels linked to Russia’s shadow fleet . The proposed text would add vessels involved in supplying ships already under sanctions . It would also target vessels involved in unloading the cargo of sanctioned ships .

Insurance Journal reports that the same draft could add 30 vessels linked to Russia’s shadow fleet to the next sanctions package . Adoption of the package is being discussed for July by the sources cited by the publication .

The EUR-Lex summary of the Union’s restrictive measures in connection with Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine states that individual sanctions target persons, entities and bodies that have, among other things, committed acts undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine . According to EUR-Lex, the lists of persons, bodies and entities subject to those individual measures are updated regularly .

The timetable and the existing framework

The sources cited by Insurance Journal refer to July adoption of the next European Union sanctions package targeting Russia’s shadow fleet . The same draft would add 30 vessels linked to that fleet and broaden the listing criteria to vessels involved in supplying sanctioned ships or unloading their cargo .

The existing framework of the Union’s restrictive measures relating to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine includes, in particular, Council Decision 2014/512/CFSP and Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 on Russia’s actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine, according to the EUR-Lex summary . EUR-Lex also cites Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP and Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 for measures targeting actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine .

According to EUR-Lex, the latest sanctions packages bring the total number of persons and entities targeted by the Union’s restrictive measures to more than 2,700 . EUR-Lex states that an anti-circumvention tool was introduced in the June 2023 package to address the involvement of operators in third countries in facilitating the circumvention of Union sanctions . Insurance Journal presents these elements as a draft package, with adoption discussed for July .

The documentary limits of the file

The Insurance Journal extract cited in the file states that a draft European Union sanctions package could add 30 vessels linked to Russia’s shadow fleet, with adoption discussed for July . The same extract reproduces neither a named list of the 30 vessels, nor a draft act, nor a CELEX reference .

The available EUR-Lex extract provides a legislative summary of the Union’s restrictive measures linked to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine . It notably recaps existing decisions and regulations, including Council Decision 2014/512/CFSP and Regulation (EU) No 833/2014, but it does not constitute the text of the next package .

The precise date of publication in the Official Journal is not provided in the available sources in the file .