Financial measures

1) European Investment Bank (EIB) is prohibited from making any disbursement or payment under or in connection with any existing agreements entered between Belarus or any public authority thereof and the EIB. 2) It is prohibited to provide public financing or financial assistance for trade with, or investment in, Belarus. 3) It is prohibited to accept any deposits from Belarusian nationals or persons residing in Belarus, or entities established in Belarus, if the total value of deposits of the person or entity per credit institution exceeds 100 000 EUR. 4) It is prohibited for Union central securities depositories to provide any services as defined in the Annex to Regulation (EU) 909/2014 for transferable securities issued after 12.04.2022 to any Belarusian national or person residing in Belarus or any entity established in Belarus. 5) It is prohibited to sell transferable securities denominated in any official currency of a Member State issued after 12.04.2022 or units in collective investment undertakings providing exposure to such securities, to any Belarusian national or person residing in Belarus or any entity established in Belarus. 6) It is prohibited to sell, supply, transfer or export banknotes denominated in any official currency of a Member State to Belarus or to any person or entity in Belarus, including the Government and the Central Bank of Belarus, or for use in Belarus. 7) It is prohibited to provide insurance or re-insurance to Belarus, its Government, its public bodies, corporations or agencies; or any person, entity or body acting on behalf or at the direction of such entity. 8) Transactions related to the management of reserves as well as of assets of the Central Bank of Belarus are prohibited. 9) It is prohibited to make new loans or credit with a maturity exceeding 90 days; or to purchase, sell, provide investment services for or assistance in the issuance of, or otherwise deal with transferable securities and money-market instruments with a maturity exceeding 90 days to Belarus, its Government, its public bodies, corporations or agencies; or a major credit or other institution established in Belarus with over 50% public ownership, as listed in Annex IX of Regulation (EC) 765/2006; or an entity established outside the EU but owned for more than 50% by an entity mentioned before; or any person or entity acting on behalf or at the direction of such entity. 10) It is prohibited as of 20.03.2022 to provide specialised financial messaging services to the entities listed in Annex XV of Regulation (EC) 765/2006 or to any entity established in Belarus whose proprietary rights are owned for more than 50% by an entity listed in Annex XV. 11) It is prohibited to list and provide services as of 12.04.2022 on trading venues registered or recognised in the Union for the transferable securities of any person or entity established in Belarus and with over 50% public ownership. 12) It is prohibited to acquire new or extend existing participation in any entity operating in the energy sector or in the mining and quarrying sector in Belarus. It is also prohibited to grant new loan or credit or otherwise provide financing to, or create any joint venture with, any entity operating in the energy sector or in the mining and quarrying sector in Belarus. The provision of related investment services is also prohibited.

EU

Restrictive measures in view of the situation in Belarus and the involvement of Belarus in the Russian aggression against Ukraine

EU country specific

Belarus

The EU has imposed several successive rounds of individual and sectoral sanctions, against those responsible for internal repression and human rights abuses in Belarus, and in the context of Belarus’ involvement in Russia’s war against Ukraine. The Council of the EU first adopted targeted restrictive measures against specific Belarusian officials on 24 September 2004, who were reported to be key actors in the unresolved disappearances of two opposition politicians. Additional listings were introduced following the 2006 and 2011 presidential elections. However, most of the measures were suspended by the Council in 2015 and later lifted, after Belarus released all of the political prisoners and in the context of improving EU-Belarus relations. In light of the fraudulent presidential elections that took place in August 2020 and the brutal crackdown by Belarusian security forces on the peaceful protesters, democratic opposition and journalists, the EU introduced several packages of listings, targeting both natural and legal persons. Following the unlawful forced landing of a Ryanair flight in Minsk in May 2021, the Council subsequently prohibited any aircraft operated by Belarusian air carriers to take off from, land in or overfly the territory of the Union, as well as imposed further targeted economic sanctions including various trade and financial restrictions. In view of the situation at the EU border with Belarus and in order to respond to the instrumentalization of human beings carried out by the Belarus regime for political purposes, the Council broadened the listing criteria on 15 November 2021. In view of the Russian unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and the involvement of Belarus in this aggression against Ukraine, since March 2022, the Council has adopted further sanctions. These include restrictions related to the trade of potassium chloride ('potash'), wood and cement products as well as iron and steel products . It is also prohibited to export to Belarus dual-use goods and technology, firearms and goods and technology in the aviation, space and defence industry. The Council has also imposed a ban on any Belarusian road transport operators. Furthermore, financial measures imposed by the Council include restrictions on access to Union capital markets in relation to the Belarusian Government as well as Belarusian state-owned financial institutions and entities, a SWIFT ban for four Belarusian banks, putting limits on financial inflows from Belarus to the EU; a prohibition on providing insurance and reinsurance to the Belarusian Government and Belarusian public bodies and agencies, as well as certain prohibitions on the European Investment Bank in relation to projects in the public sector. The close integration of the Russian and Belarusian economies has substantially facilitated the circumvention of existing sanctions. The EU therefore adopted a new set of sanctions against Belarus in June 2024, mirroring several of the measures already imposed on Russia to make EU sanctions more effective. The amendment notably extends the export ban on dual-use and advanced goods and technologies, includes further export and import restrictions, prohibition on provision on services and broadening of the road transport restrictions for Belarusian trailers or semi-trailers. The new package also introduce anti-circumvention measures, such as due diligence mechanisms and the so-called 'no re-export to Belarus clause'.