Overview of current sanctions measures
Current financial sanction measures implemented in Jersey in relation to Syria include:
- Freezing of funds and economic resources of certain, entities and bodies
- Ban on provision of certain services (e.g. related to the oil and gas industries)
- Ban on certain investment
- Restrictions on issuance of trade in certain bonds
- Restrictions on establishment of branches and subsidiaries of and cooperation with Syrian banks
- Restrictions on provision of insurance and re-insurance
- Restriction on satisfying claims made by certain persons, entities or bodies
- Embargo on equipment used in the construction of new power plants for electricity production
- Ban on provision of new Syrian banknotes and coins
- Embargo on key equipment and technology for the oil and natural gas industries
- Import ban on crude oil and petroleum products
- Embargo on telecommunications monitoring and interception equipment
Latest news
29 May 2020
Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/716 (the Amending Regulation) was published in the Official Journal of the European Union. The Amending Regulation updated and amended Annex II to Council Regulation (EU) No 36/2012, 5 entries have been removed from the list of designated persons subject to an asset freeze, with effect from 30 May 2020.
17 February 2020
Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/211 (the Amending Regulation) was published in the Official Journal of the European Union. The Amending Regulation updated Annex II to Council Regulation (EU) No 36/2012, 10 entries have been added, with effect from 17 February 2020.
11 September 2019
Corrigendum to Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/798 was published in the Official Journal of the European Union. The name of one designated person has been corrected.
20 May 2019
Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/798 (the Amending Regulation) was published in the Official Journal of the European Union. The Amending Regulation updated Annex II to Council Regulation (EU) No 36/2012, 9 entries have been removed and 29 entries have been amended, with effect from 21 May 2019.
Jersey regime
In 2011, the European Union imposed asset freezing measures on certain persons identified as being responsible for the violent repression of the civilian population in Syria by adopting Council Regulation (EU) No 36/2012 of 18 January 2012 ( the EU Council Regulation) concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria and repealing Regulation (EU) No 442/2011. The scope and type of freezing and other restrictive measures was subsequently widened.
The EU Legislation (Sanctions – Syria) (Jersey) Order 2014 (the Syria Order) (in force from 3 December 2014) gives effect to and applies the EU Council Regulation as it has been amended up to the date on which the Order was made. The Order also contains an ambulatory reference (Article 2) to the Annexes to the EU Council Regulation. The effect of ambulatory provisions is such that whenever the Annexes to the EU Council Regulation are amended by way of Council Implementing Regulation with new entries added, existing entries modified or removed), or the details of the competent authorities in the Member States, or the lists of restricted items, that change takes effect automatically in Jersey without the need for any amendment to this Order.
Under the Sanctions and Asset-Freezing (General Provisions) (Jersey) Order 2019 (the GPO), all of the standard general provisions, contained in Articles 3 to 8 of the GPO, must be read as part of the Syria Order. As the Syria Order is also a “prior EU sanctions Order”, the additional provisions in the Schedule to the GPO must be read as part of the Syria Order.
As stipulated in the Syria Order, any person who:
- contravenes Article 2a, 2b(1), 2c(1), 3, 3a, 4, 5, 6, 7a, 8, 9, 11, 11a, 11b, 11c, 12, 13, 14, 24, 25, 26, 26a or 27a of the EU Council Regulation; or
- intentionally furnishes false information or a false explanation to any person (the Minister or any authorised person by the Minister) exercising powers under paragraph 1 of the Schedule to the GPO; or
- with intent to evade furnishing information or producing documents in accordance with paragraph 1 of the Schedule to the GPO, destroys, mutilates, defaces, secretes or removes any document, or
any person who, without reasonable excuse:
- fails to comply with a request for information (or for a document or an explanation), made by the Minister (or by a person authorised by the Minister) under paragraph 1 of the Schedule to the GPO; or
- contravenes Article 19(2) or 29(1) of the EU Council Regulation,
is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a term of imprisonment and a fine.
Important note
The Order implements the EU Council Regulation to the extent that it does not contradict The Lebanon and Syria (United Nations Measures) (Channel Islands) Order 2006 (the Lebanon and Syria Order).
It is hoped that the Lebanon and Syria Order can be repealed in due course, but it remains in force for the time being.
The Lebanon and Syria Order was made to give effect to and implement certain measures called up by the members of the United Nations by UNSCR 1636(2005) and prohibits any person (including the designated persons) to deal with funds or economic resources owned, held or controlled by a designated person, or make funds or economic resources available to or for the benefit of a designated person, unless authorised to do so by a license granted under Article 8 of the Lebanon and Syria Order.
For the purposes of the Lebanon and Syria Order, designated person means any person for the time being designated under paragraph 3(a) of UNSCR 1636(2005) and registered by the Committee of the Security Council established pursuant to paragraph 3(b) of UNSCR 1636(2005).
Legal acts
United Nations Security Council Resolutions:
- UNSCR 1636(2005)
European Union
As the original EU Council Regulation has been subject of various amendments, the individual amending EU Regulations and the latest consolidated version of the original EU Council Regulation can be found on the EUR-Lex website.
To view the latest consolidated version using this website enter the number of the Regulation you wish to view into the search bar. This should bring up the relevant Regulation as the top search hit. Then click on the date which is hyperlinked after ‘Latest consolidated version’.
Jersey Legislation
- The Lebanon and Syria (United Nations Measures) (Channel Islands) Order 2006
- EU Legislation (Sanctions – Syria) (Jersey) Order 2014
- Sanctions and Asset-Freezing (General Provisions) (Jersey) Order 2019
- Sanctions and Asset-Freezing (Jersey) Law 2019
Further information
Useful information is provided on gov.uk regarding Financial sanctions, Syria
