The U.K.'s Export Control Joint Unit updated six open general export licenses this week to reflect updates to the list of controlled dual-use items. The six licenses involve dual-use exports for repair under warranty, dual-use exports after repair under warranty, dual-use exports after exhibition, low-value shipments, technology for dual-use items, and dual-use items for export to India.
The U.K.'s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation issued a general license allowing payments and other permitted activities to take place related to insolvency proceedings for two Irish wings of Russian leasing firm GTLK. The two companies are GTLK Europe Designated Activity Co. and GTLK Europe Capital Designated Activity Co. Under the license, any party, including the GTLK companies or their subsidiaries, along with involved practitioners, may "make, receive or process any payments" in connection with the insolvency proceedings. The license expires at the end of the day July 31, 2025.
The U.K. added six entries to its Russia sanctions regime July 31 for being connected to the trial against Kremlin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was found guilty of spreading false information about the Russian Armed Forces. The listings are for three Moscow City Court judges, two prosecutors and a witness in the trial. The U.K. also amended the entry for Ella Pamfilova, chairperson of the Russia's Central Election Commission.
The European Council in a July 28 move amended its Haiti sanctions regime to allow the EU to "autonomously impose restrictive measures" on individuals and entities that undermine democracy in the Caribbean nation. While no parties were sanctioned under the council's announcement, the decision complements sanctions the U.N. Security Council imposed in October, the council said. The move comes in response to the "high levels of gang violence and other criminal activities, sexual and gender-based violence, embezzlement of public funds, ongoing impunity for perpetrators," and the "dire humanitarian situation" in Haiti.
The EU on July 28 added nine individuals to its sanctions regime covering those who commit human rights abuses and sustain armed conflict. The restrictions cover nine Congolese and Rwandan people who are charged with carrying out serious human rights abuses in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the European Council said. The people include members of non-state militant groups M23, Twirwaneho, ADF, APCLS, CODECO/ALC and FDLR/FOCA. In addition, a member of the Congolese Armed Forces and one member of the Rwanda Defense Force were listed.
The European Commission last week proposed a new toy safety regulation that could lead to new requirements for EU importers. The law, designed to “protect children from potential risks in toys,” prohibits the use of certain harmful chemicals in toys and will require all toy imports to have a “Digital Product Passport.”
The EU General Court in a pair of July 26 orders annulled the sanctions acts listing Viktor Pshonka, a former Ukrainian prosecutor general, and his son, Artem, a former Ukrainian lawmaker, according to an unofficial translation. The elder Pshonka was originally sanctioned in 2014 for embezzling Ukrainian public funds, according to the EU Sanctions blog. The blog noted that the court said the European Council failed to show that the Pshonkas' rights to judicial protection were respected by Ukrainian authorities during criminal proceedings on which the council relied.
Sayari, a firm that sells risk intelligence to companies with international trade compliance needs, demonstrated how its ability to find and analyze data can help an importer of laminates, flooring or timber evaluate the risk that the wood was harvested illegally in Brazil.
The U.K.'s Solicitors Regulation Authority on July 24 released a sectoral risk assessment covering anti-money laundering and terrorist financing, according to the EU Sanctions blog. The document covers sanctions risk factors and says that companies must conduct an assessment of their proliferation financing risk exposure, the blog noted. The SRA added that firms "may be of a greater risk where they have exposure to countries" that are subject to U.N. sanctions; are suspected of using or seeking to acquire nuclear, chemical, biological or radiological weapons; or share a "porous border with such countries." The document also covers observations from the agency's supervision work, higher-risk jurisdictions, external support, risks in the legal sector and risk factors.