(Source: http://metronews.ua/categories/news)

The Council of Europe approved the extension of individual sanctions against Russian citizens and companies in connection with the Ukrainian crisis. The effect of the blacklist is extended until September 15.

On March 10 the Council of Europe extended the effect of the black list containing physical and legal persons from Russia and self-proclaimed DPR and LPR for another 6 months, which follows from the statement issued by the website of the Council of Europe. It stresses the fact that the decision to extend the sanctions was due to the “continuing undermining or threatening territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine”.

The blacklist contains a total of 146 individuals and 37 legal entities. The sanctions against them are extended until September 15, 2016. It is also noted that three persons are excluded from the blacklist because they are no longer alive. The decision to extend the sanctions will be published in the Official Journal of the EU on March 12, 2016, as the statement said. The fact that the decision to extend the anti-Russian sanctions was adopted earlier on the level of permanent representatives of 28 countries - EU members was disclosed by the sources of TASS and “RIA Novosti” in the EU Council a day before. The interlocutors stressed the fact that the final decision would be made on Thursday without debates. Individual sanctions against physical and legal persons whom Brussels considered responsible for undermining the territorial integrity of Ukraine were imposed in March 2014.

The restrictive measures include a ban on entry to the EU, as well as the freezing of their assets in European countries. Russian citizens included into the blacklist, in particular, were the speakers of the State Duma and the Federation Council Sergei Naryshkin and Valentina Matviyenko, the Deputy Prime Ministers Dmitry Kozak and Dmitry Rogozin, the Presidential Aide Vladislav Surkov, the President Advisor Sergei Glazyev, the deputies Sergei Zheleznyak and Sergei Neverov, the State Duma deputy Iosif Kobzon and other politicians. The legal persons included into the blacklist are “Rosneft”, “Transneft” and “Gazprom Oil”. The effect of the blacklist was for the last time extended in September 2015 - until March 2016.