Serbia fails to align with new EU decisions on sanctions against Russia, Belarus

In the first decision, the EU added two natural persons and three legal persons to the list of natural and legal persons, entities and bodies subject to restrictive measures. Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, and Ukraine aligned themselves with this decision.

The Council of the EU also adopted a decision concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.

The Council added 22 persons and 42 entities responsible for actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine to the list of persons, entities and bodies subject to restrictive measures.

In addition, the decision introduced an additional criterion for adding natural or legal persons, entities or bodies to the list.

Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, and Ukraine aligned themselves with this Council Decision.

Council Decision 2025/2040 imposes further restrictions in view of the involvement of Belarus in the Russian aggression against Ukraine. These include expanding the list of items which might contribute to Belarus’s military and technological enhancement or to the development of its defense and security sector, as well as the list of goods subject to export restrictions which might contribute to the enhancement of Belarusian industrial capacities, the EU said.

The Decision further restricts the provision, to the Republic of Belarus, its Government, its public bodies, corporations or agencies or to any natural or legal person, entity or body acting on their behalf or at their direction, of software with certain uses in the banking and financial sector and services that contribute to enhancing Belarus’ technological capacities. I

The decision also added exemptions necessary for humanitarian purposes, for the export, sale, supply, transfer or transport of pharmaceutical, medical or agricultural and food products, to ensure access to judicial, administrative or arbitral proceedings in a member state, and for the recognition or enforcement of a judgment or an arbitration award rendered in a Member State.

Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, and Ukraine align themselves with this Council decision, the Council said.

Council Decision 2025/2032 imposes further restrictions in view of Russia’s actions destabilizing the situation in Ukraine. The restrictions focus on the energy sector, financial system, military-industrial complex, and Russia’s diplomatic network in the EU.

The decision introduces several key restrictions: a ban on imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG), a full transaction ban on Rosneft and Gazprom Neft concerning oil and gas imports into the EU, and the extension of the import ban on a variant of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

The aim is to constrain Russia’s energy revenues, which finance the war against Ukraine.

For the first time, a measure directly targeting Russian diplomacy is also introduced: the decision introduces an obligation for Russian diplomats, traveling across the EU beyond their country of accreditation, to inform the relevant EU member state in advance, and EU member states may impose an authorization requirement on Russian diplomats for traveling to their territories, based on visas or residence permits issued by another state.

The Council said that Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, and Ukraine have aligned themselves with this decision.