The Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations are made under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 (c.13) to establish a sanctions regime under that Act in relation to Russia. These Regulations are made for the purpose of encouraging Russia to cease actions destabilising Ukraine or undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty or independence of Ukraine. Following the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, these Regulations will replace the EU sanctions regimes in relation to Russia. The EU sanctions regimes are currently implemented via EU Council Decisions and Regulations.

The Regulations confer a power on the Secretary of State to designate persons who are, or have been, involved in destabilising Ukraine or undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty or independence of Ukraine. Designated persons may be excluded from the United Kingdom and may be made subject to financial sanctions, including having their funds or economic resources frozen.

These Regulations also impose restrictions on trade in military goods and technology, on certain dual-use and energy-related items, and impose restrictions on supplying infrastructure-related goods and technology to Crimea and on importing goods from Crimea. These Regulations also restrict the provision of services related to the trade in those items. The Regulations also restrict persons from dealing with certain financial instruments, restrict the provision of finance and funds, and restrict investment in relation to Crimea.

The Regulations provide for certain exceptions to this sanctions regime, including in relation to financial sanctions (for example to allow for frozen accounts to be credited with interest or other earnings), trade sanctions and also acts done for the purpose of national security or the prevention of serious crime. The Regulations also confer powers on the Secretary of State and the Treasury to issue licences in respect of activities that would otherwise be prohibited under the financial and trade sanctions imposed. Schedule 5 of these Regulations sets out the purposes pursuant to which the Treasury will issue such licences.

The Regulations make it a criminal offence to contravene, or circumvent, any of the prohibitions in these Regulations and prescribe the mode of trial and penalties that apply to such offences. The Regulations also confer powers on specified maritime enforcement officers to stop and search ships in international and foreign waters for the purpose of enforcing specified trade sanctions and to seize goods found on board ships which are being, or have been, dealt with in contravention, or deemed contravention, of those prohibitions. The Regulations prescribe powers for the provision and sharing of information to enable the effective implementation and enforcement of the sanctions regime.

The Regulations revoke the relevant EU Regulations relating to the existing EU Russia sanctions regimes, in so far as those Regulations would have had effect in the UK after exit day. The Regulations also revoke existing UK trade and financial sanctions regulations relating to the existing EU Russia sanctions regimes.