Source: European Parliament
Article 3ae of Council Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 introduces a ban on access to EU ports and locks for vessels registered under the flag of Russia, including replicas of historical vessels.
This prohibition was initially introduced in Council Regulation (EU) 2022/576 of 8 April 2022 amending Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 and was later amended by Council Regulation (EU) 2024/1745 of 24 June 2024 to clarify that replicas of historical ships are included under the definition of vessels.
The prohibition aims to constrain the activity of vessels whose activity involves the generation of revenues or contributes to actions or policies which support Russia’s actions against Ukraine. If they were not covered by the ban, replicas of historical ships could be used by Russia to circumvent EU restrictive measures.
The Council would point out that EU restrictive measures are carefully targeted, designed to be proportionate to the objectives they seek to achieve, and temporary in nature.
The EU institutions work to develop restrictive measures in such a way as to minimise adverse consequences for those not responsible for the policies or actions leading to the adoption of restrictive measures. They are regularly reviewed, and the Council can calibrate, ease or end them, if deemed necessary and in line with the EU’s objectives.