EU implements new sanctions against North Korea

The EU Council has further tightened its sanctions on North Korea (‘DPRK’), in line with new sectoral sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council. The UN Security Council imposed new resolutions (5 August and 11 September) in response to Pyongyang’s continued development of its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes in ‘flagrant disregard’ of previous UN Security Council resolutions. Recent actions have included flying two ballistic missiles over Japan and a sixth nuclear ‘test’ of what Pyongyang claimed was a hydrogen bomb on 3 September.

UN Security Council Resolution 2371 (2017) targets DPRK’s core exports, imposing a total ban on exports of coal iron, iron ore, seafood, lead and iron ore. The EU Council has also implemented sanctions in UN Security Council Resolution 2375 (2017), which bans the export of textiles, places a cap on oil imports into the country, as well as prohibiting commercial joint ventures with North Korean entities and the grant of work authorisations to North Korean workers.

Nine people and four entities suspected of supporting the nuclear and ballistic missile programmes have been added to the EU’s list of those subject to asset freezes and travel bans. In total, 62 people and 50 entities are designated by the UN, while 41 people and six entities are subject to autonomous designation by the EU.

Other autonomous EU sanctions include a prohibition on investments in DPRK in the arms sector, metallurgy and aerospace, and a prohibition on the provision of services linked to the computing, mining, manufacturing and chemical industries.

For more information on UN Security Council Resolution 2371 (2017), see:
https://www.un.org/press/en/2017/sc12945.doc.htm

For more information on UN Security Council resolution 2375 (2017) see:
https://www.un.org/press/en/2017/sc12983.doc.htm

For more information on the EU measures see:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2017.238.01.0010.01.ENG&toc=OJ:L:2017:238:TOC