North Korea: EU expands restrictive measures in line with UNSC resolution

nkToday the Council expanded restrictive measures against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolution 2270 adopted on 2 March 2016.The measures extend, inter alia, export and import prohibitions to any item (except food or medicine) that could contribute to the development of the operational capabilities of the DPRK’s armed forces. Member states will be required to inspect all cargoes to and from the DPRK on their territories, to ban DPRK chartering of vessels or aircraft and to de-register vessels. They will have to ban flights carrying prohibited items and port calls of vessels engaged in violation of the relevant UNSC resolutions. They will also be required to ban exports from the DPRK of certain mineral products (including coal, iron and gold) and exports to the DPRK of aviation fuel. Member states will be required to expel DPRK representatives and third country nationals involved in the DPRK’s illicit programmes (as identified by the relevant UNSC resolutions).

Moreover, additional financial measures being introduced include:

an asset freeze on government entities associated with the DPRK’s nuclear or ballistic missile programmes or other activities prohibited by UNSC resolutions;
an obligation to close:
existing branches, subsidiaries or representative offices of DPRK banks;
existing joint ventures, ownership interests and correspondent banking relationships with DPRK banks; and
existing branches, subsidiaries or banking accounts in DPRK if they could contribute to DPRK’s illicit programmes
a ban on private financial support for trade if such financial support could contribute to DPRK’s illicit programmes
The legal acts will be published in the Official Journal on 1 April 2016.

UNSCR 2270 was adopted in response to the DPRK’s nuclear test and launch using ballistic missile technology on 6 January 2016 and 7 February 2016.

On 5 March 2016, the Council transposed a first set of measures under UNSCR 2270 by adding 16 people and 12 entities to the list of targets subject to travel restrictions and asset freeze.

EU restrictive measures against the DPRK were introduced on 22 December 2006. The existing measures implement all UNSC resolutions adopted after the DPRK’s nuclear tests and launches using ballistic missile technology. They also include additional EU autonomous measures. They target the DPRK’s nuclear, WMD (weapons of mass destruction) and ballistic missile programmes. The measures include prohibitions on the export and import of arms, goods and technology that could contribute to these programmes, and other restrictions in the financial, trade and transport sectors.