By Council Decision 2012/35/CFSP of 23rd January 2012, the EU has taken steps to extend substantially the existing EU sanctions programme. This EU Decision is binding on the governments of Member States only and requires implementing legislation to bind individuals/entities within Member States. EU Regulations 54/2012 and 56/2012 dated 23 January 2012 implement the extended asset freeze measures set out in the Decision; the other measures in the EU Council Decision will be implemented by Regulation likely to follow in the near future. EU Council Decision 2012/35/CFSP amends Council Decision 2010/413/CFSP and contains a range of measures, the most relevant to shipping being：
- an asset freeze on further entities and individuals, including the Central Bank of Iran and Bank Tejarat, as well as Tidewater Middle East Co (which operates 7 Iranian ports managing about 90pct of Iran’s container operations) (implemented by EU Regulation 54/2012);
- a ban on the import, purchase, or transport of Iranian crude oil, petroleum products and petrochemical products (now Articles 3a 1 and 3a 2 of Decision 2010/413/CFSP);
- a ban on the provision directly or indirectly, of financing or financial assistance, as well as insurance and reinsurance, related to the import, purchase, or transport of Iranian crude oil, petroleum products and petrochemical products (Articles 3a 2 and 3b 2);
The principal changes which have been introduced as follow:
1.The ban on Iranian oil
It is now prohibited to import, purchase or transport Iranian crude oil, petroleum products and petrochemical products. It is also prohibited to provide, directly or indirectly, financing or financial assistance, including insurance and reinsurance, in relation to these prohibited transactions.
In order to ease the impact that these new measures will have on European energy supplies, a grace period has been included in the legislation. This means that existing contracts relating to Iranian crude oil and petroleum products concluded before 23 January 2012 can be executed until 1 July 2012. Contracts concluded before 23 January 2012, which relate to Iranian petrochemical products, can be executed until 1 May 2012.
The scope of these new prohibitions is very wide and relates to purchasing or transporting Iranian oil products anywhere in the world, not just within the EU. Therefore, it would be prohibited, for example, for an EU vessel to transport Iranian oil to Asia, even though the vessel and her cargo would not be calling in the EU or passing through EU territorial waters. Similarly, insurers and reinsurers could not underwrite risks associated with the transportation of Iranian oil, even if the voyage itself were carried out exclusively by persons and companies with no link to the EU.
2.The ban on key equipment and technology for the petrochemical industry
The sale, supply or transfer of key equipment and technology for the petrochemical industry in Iran, or to Iranian or Iranian-owned entities which are involved in the petrochemical industry outside of Iran by nationals of EU Member States, or from the terriefore 23 January 2012 can, however, be performed.
3.The ban relating to gold, precious metals and banknotes
The direct or indirect sale, purchase, transportation or brokering of gold, diamonds and precious metals to, from or on behalf of the Iranian government or the Central Bank of Iran, either directly or indirectly, is banned. It is also prohibited to deliver new or unissued Iranian banknotes to the Central Bank of Iran.
4.The expansion of the asset freeze
In addition to introducing a ban on Iranian oil, the EU has also expanded the lists of persons and entities subject to an asset freeze. Some of the more notable additions and the reasons for their listing are set out below:
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- Central Bank of Iran – said to be involved in activities to circumvent sanctions
- Bank Tejarat – said to be directly facilitating Iran’s nuclear efforts and assisting in the circumvention of international sanctions
- Tidewater Middle East Co. – said to be owned or controlled by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps
- Hanseatic Trade Trust and Shipping (HTTS) GmbH – said to be controlled by and/or acting on behalf of IRISL
Three further entities (Turbine Engineering Manufacturing, Sad Export Import Company and Rosmachin) have been identified by the EU as front companies used to circumvent international sanctions and have also been added to the list of sanctioned entities/persons.
The listing of front companies which have been involved in circumventing the sanctions is a useful reminder that there are individuals and companies who will hide behind front companies in order to try to circumvent international sanctions. This highlights the importance of carrying out thorough due diligence prior to engaging in trade which has any connection with Iran, even when that trade does not, at first glance, appear to be in breach of international sanctions and where the counterparty does not appear to be a sanctioned entity.
See attached file: ALCO20120001E.U. COUNCIL DECISION 201235CFSP – 23 JANUARY 2012 – FURTHER SANCTIONS IN RESPECT OF IRAN.pdf
欧盟理事会第2012/35/CFSP号决议—2012年1月23日—进一步扩大伊朗制裁
2012年1月23日，欧盟通过欧盟理事会2012/35/CFSP号决议，进一步大幅扩大现有欧盟制裁方案。这一决议仅约束成员国政府并且要求实施立法以约束成员国的个人/实体。2012年1月23日欧盟54/2012和56/2012号法规，执行2012/35/CFSP号决议中的扩大资产冻结措施。该决议中的其他措施近期将通过类似的法规来执行。欧盟理事会第2012/35/CFSP号决议对第2012/413/CFSP号决议作了修改，并包含一系列措施，其中与航运最相关的是：
- 增加了被冻结资产的机构和个人,包括伊朗中央银行（Central Bank of Iran）、伊朗商业银行（Bank Tejarat）和中东潮汐公司（Tidewater Middle East Co）(运营伊朗7个港口，管理伊朗90%的集装箱的运营)（根据欧盟54/2012条例执行）
- 禁止进口、购买、或者运输伊朗原油、石油产品及石化产品（第2012/35/CFSP号决议3a 1 , 第2010/413/CFSP号决议3a 2 ）
- 禁止直接或者间接提供与进口、购买、运输伊朗石油、石油产品及石化产品有关的融资援助或财政资助，以及保险和再保险。（第2012/35/CFSP号决议3a 2和3b 2）
第2012/35/CFSP号决议主要变化有:
1.禁运伊朗石油
目前，禁止进口、购买、或者运输伊朗石油、石油产品和石化产品。同时，禁止直接或者间接提供与上述被禁止交易有关的融资援助或财政资助，包括保险和再保险。
为了缓解这些新措施对欧洲能源供给的影响，立法中规定了一个宽限期。这意味着2012年1月23日之前签订的与伊朗石油和石油产品有关的现有合同可以履行至2012年7月1日，与伊朗石化产品有关的合同可以履行至2012年5月1日。
新禁止条款范围非常广泛，涉及全球范围购买或运输伊朗石油产品，而不仅仅限制于欧盟。因此，例如欧盟的船只运输伊朗石油到亚洲的行为也将被禁止，尽管船舶和船上的货物不停靠欧盟港口或者不经过欧盟领海。同样，保险人和再保险人不能承保与运输伊朗石油有关的风险，即使该航次仅由与欧盟无关的个人和公司进行。
2.禁止石化产业关键设备和技术
禁止在伊朗，或者向伊朗或伊朗拥有的实体（Iranian-owned entities）（即指由欧盟成员国或者来自于成员国领土的国民在伊朗外从事石化产业的实体）出售、供给或转让石化产业关键设备和技术。同时禁止向上述实体提供与石化产业关键设备和技术有关的技术上或者财政上的资助。然而，在2012年1月23日以前签订的与上述有关的合同，可以履行。
3.与黄金、贵金属和纸币有关的禁止
禁止直接或者间接地向伊朗政府或者中央银行，或者从伊朗政府或者中央银行，或者代表伊朗政府或者中央银行出售、购买、运输黄金、钻石和贵金属或者为以上行为提供中介安排。
4.资产冻结扩张
除了对伊朗石油的禁运，欧盟同时增加资产冻结个人和实体名单。以下是值得注意的名单及原因：
- 伊朗中央银行-据称涉及规避制裁行为
- 伊朗商业银行-据称直接推动伊朗核活动及帮助规避国际制裁
- 中东潮汐公司-据称由伊朗革命卫队拥有或控制
- Hanseatic Trade Trust and Shipping (HTTS) GmbH-据称受伊朗伊斯兰共和国航运公司控制并/或代表其行事
另外，Turbine Engineering Manufacturing, Sad Export Import Company and Rosmachin 这三个实体已被欧盟定义为用来规避国际制裁的挂名公司，并已被列入制裁实体/个人的名单中。
列出涉及规避制裁的挂名公司名单是一个有益的提醒，有些个人和公司将隐藏在挂名公司背后以规避国际制裁。这强调了在从事任何与伊朗有关的交易前进行彻底的尽职调查的重要性，即使乍看起来该交易并不违反国际制裁及合同对方不是被制裁的实体。
以上由ANDREW LIU & CO.,LTD 编译，应以英文为准！
详细信息请参阅附件。
