COUNCIL REGULATION (EU) 2022/1621

of 20 September 2022

amending Regulation (EU) No 224/2014 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in the Central African Republic

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 2013/798/CFSP of 23 December 2013 concerning restrictive measures against the Central African Republic (1),

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

Whereas:

(1) On 10 March 2014, the Council adopted Regulation (EU) No 224/2014 (2) in order to give effect to certain measures provided for in Decision 2013/798/CFSP.

(2) On 29 July 2022, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) adopted Resolution 2648 (2022). That Resolution extends the measures and amends the exceptions to the arms embargo.

(3) On 20 September 2022, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2022/1626 (3), which amends Decision 2013/798/CFSP in accordance with UNSC Resolution 2648 (2022).

(4) Certain of those amendments fall within the scope of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and regulatory action at the level of the Union is therefore necessary in order to implement them together with technical adjustments in light of previous UNSC Resolutions, in particular with a view to ensuring their uniform application by economic operators in all Member States.

(5) Regulation (EU) No 224/2014 should therefore be amended accordingly,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1 In Regulation (EU) No 224/2014, Article 3 is replaced by the following: ‘Article 3 By way of derogation from Article 2, the prohibitions laid down in that Article shall not apply to the provision of technical assistance, financing or financial assistance or brokering services: (a) intended solely for the support of or use by the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), the Union missions and the French forces deployed in the Central African Republic, as well as other United Nations Member States’ forces providing training and assistance as notified in accordance with point (b); (b) related to supplies of non-lethal equipment and provision of assistance, including operational and non-operational training to the Central African Republic security forces, including State civilian law enforcement institutions, intended solely for support of or use in the Central African Republic process of Security Sector Reform (“SSR”), in coordination with MINUSCA, provided that the provision of assistance and services have been notified in advance to the Sanctions Committee; (c) related to supplies of non-lethal military equipment intended solely for humanitarian or protective use, provided that the provision of such assistance or services has been notified in advance to the Sanctions Committee; (d) related to protective clothing, including flak jackets and military helmets, temporarily exported to the Central African Republic by United Nations personnel, personnel of the Union or its Member States, representatives of the media and humanitarian and development workers and associated personnel, for their personal use only; (e) related to supplies of weapons and ammunition, military vehicles and equipment to the CAR security forces, including state civilian law enforcement institutions, where such weapons, ammunition, vehicles or equipment are intended solely for support of, or use in, the CAR process of SSR, provided that the provision of such assistance or services has been notified in advance to the Sanctions Committee.’.

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, 20 September 2022. For the Council The President M. BEK

(1) OJ L 352, 24.12.2013, p. 51.

(2) Council Regulation (EU) No 224/2014 of 10 March 2014 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in the Central African Republic (OJ L 70, 11.3.2014, p. 1).

(3) Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/1626 of 20 September 2022 amending Decision 2013/798/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against the Central African Republic (OJ L 244, 21.9.2022, p. 17).