The European Council announced on Monday that it has adopted a framework for restrictive measures in response to Turkey’s unauthorized oil and gas drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The framework will make it possible to sanction individuals or entities responsible for, or involved in, the unauthorized drilling activities for hydrocarbons in the Eastern Mediterranean, according to the EU.
The sanctions the European Union is considering as a show of support for the Republic of Cyprus will consist of an EU travel ban and an asset freeze for individuals, and an asset freeze for organizations and entities.
In addition, individuals and entities within the EU will be forbidden to make funds available to those on the list of prohibited people and organizations.
The statement issued on Monday notes that restrictive measures make it possible to place under sanctions all persons or entities responsible for drilling activities related to hydrocarbon exploration and production which has not been authorized by Cyprus in its territorial seas, within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or atop its undersea shelf.
According to the EU, such drilling activities include ”where the EEZ or continental shelf has not been delimited in accordance with international law, activities which may jeopardize or hamper the reaching of such a delimitation agreement.”
The EU Council also said that individuals or entities providing financial, technical or material support for the above-mentioned drilling activities, as well as persons or entities associated with them, might also face sanctions.
The decision of the European Council is a direct follow-up to the Council’s conclusions of October 14, 2019, which were endorsed by the body on October 17 and 18, when the EU reaffirmed its full solidarity with Cyprus.
After those resolutions, in which the Council expressed its full support to Cyprus in respect to its sovereignty and sovereign rights in accordance with international law, it invited the Commission and the European External Action Service to submit proposals for a framework for future restrictive measures.
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