Council Regulation (EU) 2015/1948 of 29 October 2015 amending Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 concerning restrictive measures in respect of Belarus

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 2012/642/CFSP of 15 October 2012 concerning restrictive measures against Belarus (1),

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

Whereas:

(1) Council Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 (2) gives effect to the measures provided for in Decision 2012/642/CFSP.

(2) On 29 October 2015, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2015/1957 (3) amending Decision 2012/642/CFSP providing for the suspension of the restrictive measures imposed on certain persons and entities designated under that Decision.

(3) Regulatory action at the level of the Union is therefore necessary in order to give effect to the suspension of the restrictive measures, in particular with a view to ensuring its uniform application by economic operators in all Member States.

(4) The power to amend the list in Annex IV to Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 should be exercised by the Council, in view of the political situation in Belarus, and to ensure consistency with the process for amending Annex II to Decision 2012/642/CFSP.

(5) Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 should therefore be amended accordingly,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 is amended as follows:

(1) in Article 2, the following paragraph is added: ‘6.   The application of the prohibitions in paragraphs 1 and 2 shall be suspended in so far as they concern persons and entities listed in Annex IV.’;

(2) the following Article is inserted: ‘Article 8b The Council shall amend Annex IV on the basis of decisions taken in respect of Annex II to Decision 2012/642/CFSP.’;

(3) the text set out in the Annex to this Regulation is added as Annex IV to Regulation (EC) No 765/2006.

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 29 October 2015.

For the Council The President J. ASSELBORN

(1) OJ L 285, 17.10.2012, p. 1.

(2) Council Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 of 18 May 2006 concerning restrictive measures in respect of Belarus (OJ L 134, 20.5.2006, p. 1).

(3) Council Decision (CFSP) 2015/1957 of 29 October 2015 amending Decision 2012/642/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Belarus (see page 149 of this Official Journal).