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Press material Wednesday 9 March 2022

● Council of the EU   09/03/2022 16:48 | Press release | EU imposes restrictive measures on 160 individuals as a consequence of Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine   The Council decided today to impose restrictive measures on an additional 160 individuals in respect of the ongoing unjustified and unprovoked Russian military aggression against Ukraine and of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. "We are adding today to our sanctions list further key individuals and their family members who have a significant economic role in supporting Putin’s regime, and benefit financially from the system. They are now subject to asset freeze and travel bans. Our message is clear: Those who enable the invasion of Ukraine pay a price for their actions." Josep Borrell, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy The listed individuals and entity include: - 14 oligarchs and prominent businesspeople involved in key economic sectors providing a substantial source of revenue to the Russian Federation - notably in the metallurgical, agriculture, pharmaceutical, telecom and digital industries -, as well as their family members. Today's decision complements the listings of oligarchs involved in the oil, gas, banking, media and transport sectors, decided by the Council on 23 and 28 February 2022; - 146 members of the Russian Federation Council, who ratified the government decisions of the ‘Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between the Russian Federation and the Donetsk People's Republic’ and the ‘Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between the Russian Federation and the Luhansk People’s Republic’. Altogether, EU restrictive measures now apply to a total of 862 individuals and 53 entities. Those designated are subject to an asset freeze and EU citizens and companies are forbidden from making funds available to them. Natural persons are additionally subject to a travel ban, which prevents them from entering or transiting through EU territories. Together with the sectoral measures targeting Belarus and Russia also adopted by the Council today, these new listings close loopholes and consolidate existing measures as agreed by the EU to respond to Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine. The European Union condemns in the strongest possible terms the Russian Federation’s unprovoked and unjustified military aggression against Ukraine, as well as the involvement of Belarus in this aggression. The European Union demands that Russia immediately ceases its military actions, unconditionally withdraws all forces and military equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine and fully respects Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence within its internationally recognised borders. The European Council calls on Russia and Russia-backed armed formations to respect international humanitarian law and stop their systematic information manipulation, including disinformation campaigns and cyber-attacks. The use of force and coercion to change borders has no place in the 21st century. Tensions and conflict should be resolved exclusively through dialogue and diplomacy. The EU will continue cooperating closely with neighbours and reiterates its unwavering support for, and commitment to, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia and of the Republic of Moldova. It will continue strong coordination with partners and allies, within the UN, OSCE, NATO and the G7. The relevant legal acts, including the names of the listed individuals and entity, have been published in the Official Journal of the EU. Official Journal of the EU, 9 March 2022 Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine: EU agrees new sectoral measures targeting Belarus and Russia, press release 9 March 2022 EU restrictive measures in response to the crisis in Ukraine European Council conclusions, 24 February 2022 Ukraine: Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the invasion of Ukraine by armed forces of the Russian Federation, press release 24 February 2022

Press material Wednesday 9 March 2022

● Council of the EU   09/03/2022 17:57 | Press release | Presidency press release - Member states united in supporting Ukraine and strengthening the EU’s telecommunications and cybersecurity resilience   The informal meeting of European Ministers in charge of telecommunications and digital affairs took place in Paris and Nevers, on 8 and 9 March.

The informal meeting of European Ministers in charge of telecommunications and digital affairs took place in Paris and Nevers, on 8 and 9 March.


On the occasion of this meeting the ministers reaffirmed:
The European Union’s solidarity with Ukraine

As part of the ongoing talks initiated with Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov on 3 March 2022, the Ministers discussed the IT and telecommunications aid to be provided to Ukraine. The primary aim is to allow government authorities to continue their work, namely through the provision of IT equipment necessary for the continued normal functioning of the Ukrainian government, and to keep the country’s telecommunications services operational. The French presidency of the Council of the European Union will coordinate the efforts between Member States.

The Ministers called on private-sector companies in a position to provide such equipment to do so, and to coordinate closely with their governments.

In line with the declarations made on 4 March 2022 by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the Ministers also pledged to be ready, should new measures be considered.
Efforts to step up the fight against disinformation

Combatting disinformation, which is already one of the objectives of the draft Digital Services Act, is an especially pressing issue in the context of the conflict in Ukraine. Online platforms, particularly social media companies, have a decisive role to play in this area.

In a unanimously adopted political declaration, the 27 Ministers called on tech companies to take additional voluntary measures to combat online disinformation and information manipulation (see link to declaration).
The importance of increasing the resilience of Europe’s telecommunications networks and cybersecurity

The Ministers noted that the telecommunications sector is one of the most advanced in terms of cyber threat preparedness, but still called on the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) and the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) to identify the gamut of risks threatening European communications networks and infrastructure and to formulate recommendations on how to strengthen their resilience.

The recent increase in cyber threat levels, worsened by the situation in Ukraine and the risk of cyber incidents within the EU, have led the Ministers to call for bolstering and accelerating the pace of European cooperation in the area of cybersecurity.

Discussions between participants helped to reassert the need to swiftly adopt and implement the revised Network and Information Security (NIS2) Directive, so as to guarantee a high common level of security of essential network and information systems.

The Ministers also requested that Member States’ cybersecurity authorities step up their cooperation at operational level and called on the European Commission to firm up the Cyber Resilience Act announced by President von der Leyen. Additionally, they approved the creation of a cybersecurity emergency response fund.

The 27 Ministers adopted a bold political declaration intended to boost the EU’s cybersecurity capabilities with details on each of these initiatives (see link to declaration).

The crisis we are all experiencing together means that we must move faster to realise our cybersecurity agenda and increase the overall resilience of our systems and networks. It is foundational to our sovereignty, security and strategic autonomy. The remarkable contributions of Member States, the Commission and an array of institutional stakeholders during our meeting in Nevers shows our determination to improve cybersecurity at EU level. Our discussions helped us to chart a course for further strengthening the EU’s resilience in the medium term. The commitments made today also demonstrate the Union’s ability to rapidly respond to a crisis and EU partners’ solidarity towards Ukraine, including in the digital and telecommunications realms.”— Cédric O, Minister of State for Digital Affairs and Electronic Communications

Documents destinés à la presse mercredi 9 mars 2022   ● Conseil de l'UE   09/03/2022 17:06 | Communiqué de presse | Relations UE - Royaume-Uni: le Conseil adopte son mandat sur les propositions visant à assurer la continuité de l'approvisionnement en médicaments   Les ambassadeurs auprès de l'UE se sont mis d'accord aujourd'hui sur le mandat concernant les propositions de directive et de règlement visant à assurer la continuité de l'approvisionnement en médicaments de l'Irlande du Nord, ainsi que de Chypre, de l'Irlande et de Malte. Sur base de cette position, un accord devra maintenant être trouvé avec le Parlement Européen afin que cette directive puisse entrer en vigueur dans les plus brefs délais. La directive a pour but de préserver l'approvisionnement ininterrompu en médicaments à usage humain en Irlande du Nord après le retrait du Royaume-Uni, dans le cadre du protocole sur l'Irlande et l'Irlande du Nord. Elle permettra aussi, à titre exceptionnel et pour une période de transition de trois ans, la mise sur le marché en Irlande, à Malte et à Chypre des médicaments provenant du Royaume-Uni sous couvert de dérogations à l'obligation que les titulaires d’autorisations soient établis dans l'Union européenne. Le règlement est étroitement lié à la directive et a pour but d'assurer l'approvisionnement en médicaments expérimentaux de ces mêmes marchés. Contexte Avec ces propositions, l'Union européenne entend faciliter la mise en œuvre du protocole sur l'Irlande et l'Irlande du Nord sur le terrain, conformément aux mesures pour l'Irlande du Nord présentées par la Commission le 13 octobre 2021. Relations entre l'UE et le Royaume-Uni: la Commission tient sa promesse d'assurer la continuité de l'approvisionnement en médicaments de l'Irlande du Nord, ainsi que de Chypre, de l'Irlande et de Malte (Commission Européenne, communiqué de presse) Meetings Wednesday 9 March 2022   ● European Council   09/03/2022 15:20 | MEETING | Background brief - Informal meeting of heads of state or government of 10-11 March 2022, Versailles   Background brief - Informal meeting of heads of state or government of 10-11 March 2022, Versailles