On 10 August 2022 the European Union (EU) published updated FAQs clarifying the application of provisions relating to the carriage of certain cargoes from Russia, including coal and other solid fossil fuels as well as certain types of fertilizer. As this Circular sets out, these clarifications will have a significant impact on the carriage of these commodities by EU entities and the provision of insurance for carriage to any entity regardless of their domicile.
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The EU issued FAQs on 17 April and 14 June 2022 but these appeared to clarify only that EU entities were prohibited from purchasing Russian such cargoes intended for delivery both into and outside the EU but not otherwise being involved in their carriage.
Further FAQs were issued on 10 August however – i.e. the date on which the wind-down period for coal and other solid fossil fuel cargoes expired – which cast significant doubt on the previous interpretation industry had placed on the wording of Articles 3i and 3j. The text of these latest FAQs can be found here. They appeared to suggest that the prohibitions in these Articles were in fact intended to have wider impact than just carriage into the EU and could impact of the carriage of such cargoes from Russia to any other country.
The International Group (IG) consequently sought immediate clarification from the EU Commission regarding the meaning of these latest FAQs, the scope of the EU prohibitions and potential impacts on both Members and Clubs.
The EU have made it clear to the IG that whilst the reference to “import” in the Articles is indeed just limited to import into the EU, the other restrictions on direct or indirect transfers are intended to equally apply to non-EU destinations. It therefore now the case that the involvement of an EU entity in the carriage of Russian fertilisers and coal or other solid fossil fuels to any destination whatsoever and whether inside or outside the EU would be in breach of EU sanctions.
Furthermore, the EU Commission has clarified to the IG that the prohibition on the provision of “financial assistance” in sections (2)(b) of both Article 3i and 3j and which includes insurance and reinsurance services prevents any entity subject to the jurisdiction of the EU from providing insurance and reinsurance for the carriage of Russian fertilisers and coal and other solid fossil fuel cargoes regardless of destination.
Most of the Clubs that comprise the IG are subject to the jurisdiction of the EU. All IG Clubs, including those that are domiciled outside the territory of the EU, rely on a reinsurance programme that is heavily dependent on the participation of reinsurers that are domiciled within the EU. If any of the IG Clubs are prohibited under these sanctions from contributing their share of any Pool claim, the individual Member will bear the shortfall in accordance with their Club’s sanctions rules. The same principle will apply for claims above US$100 million if any EU domiciled reinsurers on the IG reinsurance programme are prohibited under these sanctions from paying the claim.
With no suggestion of the EU being willing to grant a further wind-down period to allow the consequences of these latest FAQs to be absorbed by industry, the impacts as set out above for Members involved in these trades have immediate effect. Any Members with questions are strongly encouraged to contact their Club.
Please see attached file for details.
欧盟制裁- 运输俄罗斯煤炭和化肥等货物保险问题的澄清
2022年8月10日，欧盟（EU）发布了更新的常见疑问解答（FAQs），澄清了制裁条例对从俄罗斯运输某些货物的适用性，包括煤炭和其他固体化石燃料以及某些类型的化肥。正如本通函所述，这些澄清将对欧盟实体就上述货物的运输，以及向任何实体（不论住所地是否在欧盟）提供运输保险产生重大影响。
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欧盟于2022年4月17日和6月14日分别发布了常见疑问解答FAQs，但似乎仅仅澄清了欧盟实体被禁止购买俄罗斯相关货物以交付至欧盟内外，但不涉及其他方的运输。
然而，8月10日发布的这份进一步的常见疑问解答中，例如，煤炭和其他固体化石燃料货物的缓冲器已经到期，这对第Articles 3i条和第Articles 3j条措辞的先前解释产生了重大疑问。这些最新常见问题解答FAQs的文本可在此处找到。他们似乎认为，条例中的禁令实际上产生了更广泛的影响，不仅仅是影响向欧盟的运输，并可能影响从俄罗斯到任何其他国家就禁令货物的运输。
因此，国际保赔协会集团（IG）要求欧盟委员会立即就最新FAQs的含义、欧盟禁令的范围以及对IG协会以及会员的潜在影响作出澄清。
欧盟已向IG协会明确表示，尽管条例中提及的“进口”实际上仅限于向欧盟进口，但对直接或间接转移的其他限制同样适用于非欧盟目的地。因此，现在的情况是，欧盟实体参与将俄罗斯化肥、煤炭或其他固体化石燃料运输到任何目的地，无论是在欧盟内还是欧盟外，都将违反欧盟制裁。
此外，欧盟委员会已向IG协会澄清，第Article 3i条和第Article 3j条第（2）（b）点中规定的禁止提供“金融援助”，包括了保险和再保险服务，这就禁止了受欧盟管辖的任何实体为俄罗斯化肥、煤炭和其他固体化石燃料货物的运输提供保险和再保险，不论货物运输目的地。
IG协会的大多数成员都受欧盟管辖。所有IG协会，包括位于欧盟境外的协会，都依赖于再保险方案，也就极大依赖于位于欧盟境内的再保险人的参与。如果任何IG协会因为这些制裁被禁止按其份额分摊大额索赔（Pool claim），则会员将根据其协会的制裁规则承担差额部分。对于1亿美元以上的索赔，如果IG再保险方案中的任何欧盟籍再保险人因为上述制裁被禁止作出赔付，则这一原则将同样适用。
并没有迹象表明欧盟愿意给予进一步的缓冲期，以允许行业掌控这些最新常见问题的后果，上述这些澄清对协会会员的影响已立即生效。强烈建议会员有任何问题应联系其协会。
详细信息请参阅附件。
