EU Expands Sanctions Against North Korea

The European Council adopted on Thursday additional restrictive measures against North Korea that are aimed at complementing and reinforcing the sanctions regime imposed by United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.

The EU decided to expand the prohibition on investments in North Korea to new sectors, namely the conventional arms-related industry, metallurgy and metalworking, and aerospace. The Council also agreed to prohibit the provision of certain services to persons or entities in North Korea, namely computer services and services linked to mining and manufacturing in the chemical, mining and refining industry.

The Council took these additional restrictive measures considering that the actions of North Korea violate multiple UNSC resolutions and constitute a grave threat to international peace and security in the region and beyond.

The EU called again on North Korea to re-engage in a credible and meaningful dialogue with the international community, to cease its provocations, and to abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programmes as well as other weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner.

The Council also decided to add four persons to the list of persons targeted by the EU’s restrictive measures for being responsible for supporting or promoting the North Korea’s nuclear-related, ballistic missile-related or other weapons of mass destruction-related programmes. This brings the total number of persons subject to travel restrictions and asset freeze to 41. Seven entities are also subject to an asset freeze.

The legal acts are published in the Official Journal of 7 April 2017. They were adopted by written procedure.

EU restrictive measures against North Korea were introduced on 22 December 2006. The existing measures implement all UNSC resolutions adopted in response to the DPRK’s nuclear tests and launches using ballistic missile technology and include additional EU autonomous measures.

They target North Korea’s nuclear weapons and nuclear programs, other weapon of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs. The measures include prohibitions on the export and import of arms, goods, services and technology that could contribute to these programs.