The EU was unable to reach an agreement on extending sanctions against Russia
On September 14, ambassadors from 27 EU countries were unable to unanimously agree on extending the blocking sanctions under the European Union’s main sanctions regime against Russia. France and Slovakia advocated for the removal of Russian businessman Alisher Usmanov from the list, while other member states did not support this position.
Media reports citing EU diplomats indicate that the sanctions could have been temporarily extended for another week. However, as of the morning of September 15, the relevant decision had not been officially published.
The publication of EU legislative acts in the “Official Journal” is a prerequisite for their entry into force in accordance with Article 297 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
Decisions in the area of the EU’s common foreign and security policy, particularly regarding restrictive measures, are adopted unanimously. Due to the lack of a consensus among member states, questions arose regarding the extension of the sanctions regime, which was set to expire on the night of September 15.
A similar situation had already arisen during the previous extension of the sanctions regime six months ago.
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