EU state bypassing sanctions on Russia – media

The Dutch government has granted 91 permits exempting businesses from implementing EU sanctions on Russia, media outlet RTL Nieuws reported on Monday, citing state institutions.

According to the outlet, officials did not reveal the names of the companies involved, the value of the transactions which were exempted, and the business sectors concerned.

The information was “company-sensitive,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told RTL. The Ministry, along with its counterparts in Economic Affairs, Finance, Infrastructure, and Education, were allowed to grant exemptions to sanctions to “allow a degree of flexibility in specific cases,” the unnamed spokesperson said.

The report noted that despite the EU’s ban on ships sailing under the Russian flag from European ports, the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management issued waivers so that 34 ships could access the nation’s ports. They justified this by saying the ships were carrying important cargo such as aluminum and food.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Economy and Climate has issued 25 permits to Dutch companies so they can work with former Gazprom subsidiaries. Permits were also issued on “humanitarian grounds” for cooperation between Russia and the EU on “civil matters,” as well as for making payments from Russia for “diplomatic” purposes.

The Ministry of Finance granted 13 additional waivers related to frozen assets or goods that fall under the sanctions.

The EU has adopted eight rounds of sanctions on Russia in response to the conflict in Ukraine, including assets freezes, restrictions on the country’s financial sector, trade embargoes, as well as measures targeting individuals and state companies.

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