Council Regulation (EU) No 1263/2012Show full title

Council Regulation (EU) No 1263/2012

of 21 December 2012

amending Regulation (EU) No 267/2012 concerning restrictive measures against Iran

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 215 thereof,

Having regard to Council Decision 2010/413/CFSP of 26 July 2010 concerning restrictive measures against Iran(1),

Having regard to the joint proposals from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the European Commission,

Whereas:

(1) Regulation (EU) No 267/2012(2) gives effect to the measures provided for in Decision 2010/413/CFSP. On 15 October 2012, the Council adopted Decision 2012/635/CFSP(3) which amends Decision 2010/413/CFSP and provides for additional restrictive measures against Iran.

(2) Those additional restrictive measures comprise, in particular, an export prohibition on key naval equipment and technology for ship-building, maintenance or refit. Moreover, trade in graphite, raw or semi-finished metals, such as aluminium and steel, and software for certain industrial processes should be prohibited.

(3) The additional restrictive measures also include a ban on the import, purchase or transport of Iranian natural gas. Effective implementation of this prohibition requires that measures be taken to prohibit swaps of natural gas that are known to increase the export of natural gas from Iran in circumvention of the prohibition, or there is reasonable cause to suspect this. The contracts satisfied by use of a pipeline directly connected to the natural gas transmission grid of the Union without any inlet point intended to facilitate the purchase or increase export of natural gas originating in Iran should not be affected by the prohibition on natural gas imports.

(4) Decision 2012/635/CFSP called for the review of restrictive measures concerning dual-use goods and technology set out in Annex I to Council Regulation (EC) No 428/2009 of 5 May 2009 setting up a Community regime for the control of exports, transfer, brokering and transit of dual-use items(4), with a view to including certain items in Part 2 of category 5 thereof which might be relevant to industries controlled directly or indirectly by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or which might be relevant to Iran's nuclear, military or ballistic missile programme while taking into account the need to avoid unintended effects on the civilian population in Iran.

(5) In order to ensure the effective implementation of the prohibition on the sale, supply, transfer or export to Iran of additional key equipment or technology which could be used in the key sectors of the oil, natural gas and petrochemical industries, an additional list of such key equipment and technology should be provided.

(6) For the same reason, lists of items subject to trade restrictions on natural gas, graphite, raw or semi-finished metals, such as aluminium and steel, and software for certain industrial processes should also be provided.

(7) Decision 2012/635/CFSP also prohibits transactions between Union and Iranian banks and financial institutions, unless authorised in advance by the relevant Member State.

(8) Furthermore, Decision 2012/635/CFSP provides for prohibitions on the provision of flagging and classification services to Iranian oil tankers and cargo vessels as well as regarding the supply of vessels designed for the transport or storage of oil and petrochemical products to Iranian persons and entities or to other persons and entities for the purpose of transporting or storing Iranian oil and petrochemical products.

(9) In order to protect the environment and the health and safety of workers, it is necessary to provide that the competent authorities of Member States may take all action they deem necessary to ensure that legal obligations concerning the health and safety of workers and environment protection are respected. In cases of urgency, a Member State should be allowed to take such action without prior notification provided that it notifies the other Member States and the Commission as soon as possible afterwards.

(10) Where a Member State had granted a license to engage in the activities of exploitation of hydrocarbons to a designated person, entity or body before that person, entity or body was designated, the competent authority of that Member State may authorise derogation from certain prohibitions provided for in Regulation (EU) No 267/2012 where such derogation is needed to avoid or remediate environmental damage or permanent destruction of the license's value.

(11) These measures fall within the scope of the Treaty and regulatory action at the level of the Union is therefore necessary in order to implement them, in particular with a view to ensuring their uniform application by economic operators in all Member States.

(12) Regulation (EU) No 267/2012 should therefore be amended accordingly,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

(1)

OJ L 195, 27.7.2010. p. 39.

(2)

OJ L 88, 24.3.2012, p. 1.

(3)

OJ L 282, 16.10.2012, p. 58.

(4)

OJ L 134, 29.5.2009, p. 1.