EU tightens sanctions on Belarus over Ukraine conflict involvement

The EU Council adopted new sanctions targeting Belarus's economy on Saturday, affecting trade, services, and transport. The reason was the involvement of Alexander Lukashenko's regime in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The new package of sanctions targets various sectors of the Belarusian economy and includes provisions to prevent the circumvention of previously imposed EU sanctions on Russia. This involves subjecting Belarus to the same restrictions already applied to Russia, as the Kremlin has exploited the absence of such measures to bypass EU sanctions.

The new sanctions include a ban on exporting all so-called dual-use technologies to Belarus, similar to provisions in the fourteen sanction packages imposed on Russia. They also introduce further restrictions on the export of goods that could enhance Belarusian industrial capabilities. There is a ban on imports such as marine navigation components, diamonds, gold, coal, and oil. A new ban on the export of goods and technologies suitable for use in oil refining and the liquefaction of natural gas will supplement this measure.

The Council has also banned providing services to Belarus involving public and private institutions. The list includes IT, auditing, consultancy services (including PR), architectural, engineering, legal, advertising, market research, and public opinion services.

The new package extends the ban on road transport of goods from Belarus into EU territory via trailers and semi-trailers registered in Belarus and trucks registered outside of Belarus. EU transport companies in which Belarusians (legal or natural persons) hold at least a 25% stake will no longer be considered EU transport or shipping companies.

To prevent the circumvention of sanctions, the package introduces provisions in EU export contracts prohibiting the re-export to Belarus of sensitive goods and technologies, including firearms and ammunition, as well as products and technologies that could contribute to Belarus's military, technological, or industrial strengthening, including in the defence, aviation, or space industries. There is also a ban on the transit of weapons exported from the EU through Belarus.

To counteract the re-export of goods originating from conflict zones in Ukraine or goods critical to developing Russian armaments, EU companies selling such products to third countries must implement monitoring mechanisms to ensure that the banned goods do not end up in Russia. EU companies with subsidiaries in third countries must ensure that their subordinate entities comply with the sanctions.

The European Commission proposed a new package of restrictions against Belarus as early as January 2023. Still, the EU struggled to reach an agreement on the so-called sealing sanctions, mainly due to the easing of previous restrictions on the import of fertilisers from Belarus. The idea was to allow Belarus, a world producer of potash used in fertilisers, to transport its products through EU territory to third countries threatened by the food crisis. However, it appears Canada can successfully take over Belarus's role in this area.

During a meeting in Luxembourg on Monday, the EU foreign ministers adopted the fourteenth package of sanctions against Russia. Two days later, member state ambassadors reached a preliminary agreement on sanctions against Belarus, which the EU Council officially adopted on Saturday. Poland was among those calling for aligning the sanctions on Belarus with those imposed by the EU on Russia.