EU member states agree on 21st sanctions package against Russia and prepare to approve it
On the morning of Thursday 23 July, the EU's Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper) reached an agreement on the content of the EU's new 21st package of sanctions against Russia and decided to hold a written procedure for its approval in the afternoon.
Source: European Pravda, citing an EU diplomat familiar with the discussions
Details: The European Union has finally reached an agreement on the 21st package of sanctions against Russia, with the approval process set to begin on 23 July.
"The EU's Coreper convened for an extraordinary meeting at 08:30 on Thursday and reached a political agreement on the 21st package of sanctions. It was decided to approve it this afternoon through a written procedure," a source told European Pravda.
According to the source, Greece agreed to a compromise, the details of which have not yet been disclosed.
Technical work to finalise the text of the sanctions package is currently under way.
The written approval procedure is expected to begin in the afternoon of 23 July and be completed the same day. This is necessary to ensure that the price cap on Russian oil can be frozen in time.
Background:
- As European Pravda reported, on Wednesday 15 July, Coreper was unable to reach a decision on adopting the European Union's new 21st package of sanctions against Russia, but while discussions continued, it decided to freeze the price cap on Russian oil until 23 July. No solution was found on 22 July either.
- The main stumbling block was Greece's demand to extend its permission to re-export Russian liquefied natural gas to third countries.
- Bulgaria had previously threatened to block the 21st package of sanctions, demanding that Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church be removed from the sanctions lists, and Italy later joined it. However, with Kirill now removed from the lists, these objections have been withdrawn.
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