EU and UN impose new sanctions on Libyan oil sector

The EU has imposed further sanctions against Libya, harmonising its position with United Nations Security Council (‘UNSC’) measures targeting the country’s oil sector (4 August). Both the UN and EU have expanded sanctions to include vessels loading, transporting, or discharging petroleum – including crude oil and refined products – for export from Libya.

Since the fall of President Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has been politically unstable, split between rival centres of authority in the capital Tripoli and the eastern port city of Tobruk. In 2015, the UN brokered a unity government in Tripoli, but this has struggled to govern the country. Since then, the UN has allowed the Libyan government to request sanctions on vessels carrying oil from rebel-held ports, and the inspection of such vessels on the high seas by foreign powers.

The UN has also added another entity, the vessel Lynn S, to its list of individuals and entities subject to an asset freeze in response to further information from the Libyan government. This vessel has also been added to the UK’s consolidated list of financial sanctions targets compiled by the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (‘OFSI’). The EU has until 1 September 2017 to implement this update.

Council Regulation (EU) 2017/1419 of 4 August 2017 amending Regulation (EU) 2016/44 can be found here:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2017.204.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ:L:2017:204:TOC

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1423 of 4 August 2017 amending Council Regulation (EU) 2016/44 can be found here:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2017.204.01.0080.01.ENG&toc=OJ:L:2017:204:TOC