Proposal for a Council Regulation concerning certain restrictive measures in respect of Liberia
Date: 2003-05-26
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Liberia, import (EU), import restriction, international sanctions, precious stones, wood product

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 26.05.2003
COM(2003) 330 final

Proposal for a

COUNCIL REGULATION

concerning certain restrictive measures in respect of Liberia

(presented by the Commission)

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

In  its  Resolutions  1343(2001)  and  1408(2002)  the  Security  Council  of  the  United
Nations  decided  that  a  ban  on  imports  of  rough  diamonds  from  Liberia  and  certain
other  restrictive  measures  had  to  be  applied  against  Liberia  and  that  these  measures
should be applied until 8 May 2003.

In  its  Resolution  1478  (2003)  of  6  May  2003,  the  United  Nations  Security  Council,
acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, decided to extend the
restrictive  measures  imposed  on  Liberia,  as  laid  down  in  UNSC  Resolution  1343
(2001) of 7 March 2001 and UNSC Resolution 1408 (2002) of 6 May 2002, and to add
the prohibition of all imports of round logs and timber products originating in Liberia
for a period of 10 months starting on 7 July 2003.

In  accordance  with  Resolutions  1343  and  1408  the  prohibition  of  the  provision  of
technical  advice  and  training  related  to  military  activities  and  the  prohibition  of  all
imports  of  rough  diamonds  originating  in,  or  coming  from,  Liberia  is  laid  down  in
Council Regulation (EC) No. 1318 of 22 July 2002, which expired 8 May 2003. It is
therefore necessary to adopt a new Regulation extending said restrictive measures.

In  accordance  with  Resolution  1478,  the  new  Regulation  also  has  to  lay  down  the
prohibition of all imports of round logs and timber products originating in Liberia for a
period of 10 months.

2

Proposal for a

COUNCIL REGULATION

concerning certain restrictive measures in respect of Liberia

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article
301 thereof,

Having  regard  to  Council  Common  Position  2001/357/CFSP  of  7  May  2001  concerning
restrictive measures against  Liberia1, as last amended  by  Common  Position  2003/365/CFSP
of 19 May 20032,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1343 (2001) of 7 March 2001 and 1408
(2002) of 6 May 2002 imposed restrictive measures on the government of Liberia for
its support to armed rebel groups in the region. By Resolution 1478 (2003) of 6 May
2003,  the  Security  Council  decided  to  extend  the  application  of  those  restrictive
measures for a period of twelve months from 7 May 2003. It also decided to prohibit
all imports of round logs and timber products originating in Liberia for a period of 10
months from 7 July 2003.

Certain  of  these  measures  fall  under  the  scope  of  the  Treaty  and,  therefore,  notably
with a view to avoiding distortion of competition, Community legislation is necessary
to implement the relevant decisions of the Security Council.

Council Regulation (EC) No 1318/2002 of 22 July 2002 concerning certain restrictive
measures  in  respect  of  Liberia3  implemented  Resolutions  1343  (2001)  and  1408
(2002) of the Security Council as far as the territory of the Community is concerned.
That Regulation expired on 8 May 2003. It is now necessary to implement Resolution
1478  (2003).  For  the  purpose  of  this  Regulation,  the  territory  of  the  Community  is
deemed  to  encompass  the  territories  of  the  Member  States  to  which  the  Treaty  is
applicable, under the conditions laid down in that Treaty

(4)

Member  States  should  determine  the  penalties  applicable  to  infringements  of  the
provisions of this Regulation. Penalties provided for should be proportionate, effective
and dissuasive.

1

2

3

OJ L 126, 8.5.2001, p. 1.
OJ L 124, 20.5.2003, p. 49.
OJ L 194, 23.7.2002, p.1.

3

                                                
(5)

In view of the expiry of Council Regulation (EC) No 1318/2002 on 8 May 2003, this
Regulation  should enter into force on  the day  of  its  publication  and  be  applicable  in
line with the dates provided for in Common Position 2003/365/CFSP of 19 May 2003.

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

1.  Without  prejudice  to  the  powers  of  the  Member  States  in  the  exercise  of  their  public
authority,  providing  Liberia  with  technical  training  or  assistance  related  to  the  provision,
manufacture, maintenance or use of arms and related material of all types including weapons
and ammunition, military vehicles and equipment, paramilitary equipment, and spare parts for
the aforementioned shall be prohibited.

2.  The  prohibition  referred  to  in  paragraph  1  shall  not  apply  in  cases  where  the  Committee
established by paragraph  14 of  United  Nations Security Council Resolution  1343(2001)  has
granted an exemption in advance. Such exemptions shall be obtained through the competent
authorities of the Member States listed in Annex I to this Regulation.

Article 2

1. The direct or indirect import into the Community of all rough diamonds from  Liberia, as
defined in Annex II, whether originating there or not, shall be prohibited.

2.  The  direct  or  indirect  import  into  the  Community  of  all  round  logs  and  timber  products
originating in Liberia, as defined in Annex III , shall be prohibited.

The Commission shall be empowered to:

Article 3

(1) 

(2) 

amend Annex I on the basis of information supplied by Member States,

amend Annexes  II  and  III  in order  to bring them into  line  with changes that may  be
made to the Combined Nomenclature.

Article 4

Without prejudice to the rights and obligations of the Member States under the Charter of the
United  Nations,  the  Commission  shall  maintain  all  necessary  contacts  with  the  Committee
established  by  paragraph  14  of  United  Nations  Security  Council  Resolution  1343(2001)  for
the purpose of the effective implementation of this Regulation.

Article 5

The Commission and the Member States shall immediately inform each other of the measures
taken under this Regulation and shall supply each other with all relevant information at their
disposal in connection with this  Regulation, in particular information in respect of violation
and enforcement problems and judgements handed down by national courts.

4

Article 6

This Regulation shall apply notwithstanding any rights conferred, or obligations imposed, by
any  international  agreement  signed  or  any  contract  entered  into  or  any  licence  or  permit
granted before the entry into force of this Regulation.

Article 7

1. The Member States shall lay down the rules on penalties applicable to infringements of the
provisions of this Regulation. The penalties provided for must be effective, proportionate and
dissuasive. Pending the adoption of such rules, the penalties applicable to infringements of the
provisions of this Regulation shall be those determined by the Member States in order to give
effect to Article 7 of Regulation (EC) 1318/20024.

2.  Each  Member  State  shall  be  responsible  for  bringing  proceedings  against  any  natural  or
legal  person,  entity  or  body  under  its  jurisdiction  in  cases  of  violation  of  any  of  the
prohibitions laid down in this Regulation by such person, entity or body.

This Regulation shall apply

Article 8

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

within the territory of the Community, including its airspace,

on board any aircraft or any vessel under the jurisdiction of a Member State,

to any person elsewhere who is a national of a Member State, and

to any legal person, entity or body which is incorporated or constituted under the law
of a Member State.

1. This Regulation shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of

the European Union.

Article 9

2. Articles 1, 2 (1), 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 shall apply from 8 May 2003.

Article 2 (2) shall apply from 7 July 2003.

3. This Regulation shall expire on 8 May 2004.

4

OJ L 194, 23.7.2002, p. 1.

5

                                                
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels,

For the Council
The President

6

List of competent authorities referred to in Article 1.2

ANNEX I

(to be revised where necessary)

BELGIUM

Ministère  des  affaires  étrangères,  du  commerce  extérieur  et  de  la  coopération  au
développement

Egmont 1,

rue des Petits Carmes 19

B-1000 Bruxelles

Direction des relations économiques et bilatérales extérieures

a) Service Afrique du Sud du Sahara (B.22),

Tel. (32-2) 501 85 77

b) Coordination de la politique commerciale (B.40)

Tél.: (32-2) 501 83 20

c) Service transports (B.42)

Tél.: (32-2) 501 37 62

Fax (32-2) 501 88 27

Ministère des affaires économiques

ARE 4 o division, service des licences

Avenue du Général Leman 60

B-1040 Bruxelles

Tél.: (32-2) 206 58 16/27

Fax (32-2) 230 83 22

DENMARK

Erhvervs- og Boligstyrelsen

Dahlerups Pakhus

7

Langelinie Allé 17

DK - 2100 København Ø

Tel. (45) 35 46 60 00

Fax (45) 35 46 60 01

Udenrigsministeriet

Asiatisk Plads 2

DK - 1448 København K

Tel. (45) 33 92 00 00

Fax (45) 32 54 05 33

Justitsministeriet

Slotholmsgade 10

DK - 1216 København K

Tel. (45) 33 92 33 40

Fax (45) 33 93 35 10

GERMANY

Bundesamt für Wirtschaft und Ausfuhrkontrolle (BAFA)

Frankfurter Straße 29-35

D-65760 Eschborn

Tel. (49) 61 96 908-0

Fax (49) 61 96 908-800

GREECE

Ministry of National Economy

General Secretariat for International Economic Relations

General Directorate for Policy Planning and Management

1 Kornarou str.

8

GR - 105 63 Athens

Tel. (30) 10 328 64 01-3

Fax (30) 10 328 64 04

Υπουργείο Εθνικής Οικονοµίας

Γενική Γραµµατεία ∆ιεθνών Οικονοµικών Σχέσεων

Γενική ∆ιεύθυνση Σχεδιασµού και ∆ιαχείρισης Πολιτικής

Κορνάρου 1

GR - 105 63 Αθήνα

Τηλ.: (30) 10 328 64 01-3

Φαξ: (30) 10 328 64 04

SPAIN

Ministerio de Economía

Dirección General de Comercio Inversiones

Paseo de la Castellana, 162

E-28046 Madrid

Tel. (34) 913 49 38 60

Fax (34) 914 57 28 63

FRANCE

Ministère de l'économie, des finances et de l'industrie

Direction générale des douanes et des droits indirects

Cellule embargo - Bureau E2

Tél.: (33) 1 44 74 48 93

Télécopieur: (33) 1 44 74 48 97

Ministère des affaires étrangères

Direction des Nations unies et des organisations internationales

9

Tél.: (33) 1 43 17 59 68

Télécopieur: (33) 1 43 17 46 91

IRELAND

Department of Enterprise

Trade and Employment Licensing Unit

Earlsfort Centre

Lower Hatch St.

Dublin 2

Ireland

Tel. (353) 1 631 2121

Fax (353) 1 631 2562

ITALY

Ministero degli Affari esteri

D.G.A.E.-Uff. X

Roma

Tel. (39) 06 36 91 37 50

Fax (39) 06 36 91 37 52

Ministero del Commercio estero

Gabinetto

Roma

Tel. (39) 06 59 93 23 10

Fax (39) 06 59 64 74 94

Ministero dei Trasporti

Gabinetto

Roma

10

Tel. (39) 06 44 26 71 16/84 90 40 94

Fax (39) 06 44 26 71 14

LUXEMBOURG

Ministère des affaires étrangères

Office des Licences

21, rue Philippe II

L - 2340 Luxembourg

Tel. (352) 478 23 70

Fax (352) 46 61 38

NETHERLANDS

Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken

Directie Verenigde Naties

Afdeling Politieke Zaken

2594 AC Den Haag

Nederland

Tel. (31) 70 348 42 06

Fax (31) 70 348 67 49

AUSTRIA

Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Angelegenheiten

Abteilung C/2/2

Landstraßer Hauptstraße 55-57

A-1030 Wien

Tel. (43-1) 711 00

Fax (43-1) 711 00-8386

11

PORTUGAL

Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros

Direcção-Geral dos Assuntos Multilaterais

Largo Rilvas

P - 1350-179 Lisboa

Tel. (351) 21 394 60 72

Fax (351) 21 394 60 73

FINLAND

Ulkoasiainministeriö/Utrikesministeriet

PL/PB 176

FIN - 00161 Helsinki/Helsingfors

Tel. (358) 9 16 05 59 00

Fax (358) 9 16 05 57 07

SWEDEN

Regeringskansliet

Utrikesdepartementet

Rättssekretariatet för EU-frågor

Fredsgatan 6

S-103 39 Stockholm

Tel: (46) 8 405 10 00

Fax: (46) 8 723 11 76

UNITED KINGDOM

Foreign and Commonwealth Office Sanctions Unit

United Nations Department

12

King Charles Street

London SW1A 2AH

United Kingdom

Tel. (44) 207 72 70 36 39

Fax (44) 207 72 70 14 73

Export Control Organisation

Department of Trade and Industry

Kingsgate House

66-74 Victoria Street

London SW1E 6SW

United Kingdom

Tel. (44) 171 215 6740

Fax (44) 171 222 0612

13

ANNEX II

Rough diamonds referred to in Article 2 (1)

CN code

Product description

ex

7102 10 00

Unsorted diamonds, unworked and not mounted or set

7102 21 00

Industrial diamonds, unworked or simply sawn, cleaved or bruted

7102 31 00

Non-industrial  diamonds,  unworked  or  simply  sawn,  cleaved  or
bruted

7105 10 00

Dust and powder of diamonds

14

CN code

ex

4401

4402

4403

4404

4405

4406

4407

4408

4409

4410

4411

4412

4413

ANNEX III

Round logs and timber products referred to in Article 2 (2)

Product description

Fuel wood, in logs, in billets, in twigs, in faggots or in similar forms;
wood  in  chips  or  particles;  sawdust  and  wood  waste  and  scrap,
whether  or  not  agglomerated  in  logs,  briquettes,  pellets  or  similar
forms

Wood  charcoal  (including  shell  or  nut  charcoal),  whether  or  not
agglomerated

Wood  in the rough, whether or not stripped  of  bark  or  sapwood,  or
roughly squared

Hoopwood; split poles; piles, pickets and stakes of wood, pointed but
not sawn lengthwise; wooden sticks, roughly trimmed but not turned,
bent  or  otherwise  worked,  suitable  for  the  manufacture  of  walking-
sticks, umbrellas, tool handles or the like; chipwood and the like

Wood wool; wood flour

Railway or tramway sleepers (cross-ties) of wood

Wood sawn or chipped lengthwise, sliced or peeled, whether or not
planed, sanded or end-jointed, of a thickness exceeding 6 mm

Sheets  for  veneering  (including  those  obtained  by  slicing  laminated
wood),  for  plywood  or  for  other  similar  laminated  wood  and  other
wood,  sawn  lengthwise,  sliced  or  peeled,  whether  or  not  planed,
sanded, spliced or end-jointed, of a thickness not exceeding 6 mm

Wood  (including  strips  and  friezes  for  parquet  flooring,  not
assembled)  continuously  shaped 
rebated,
chamfered,  V-jointed,  beaded,  moulded,  rounded  or  the  like)  along
any of its edges, ends or faces, whether or not planed, sanded or end-
jointed

(tongued,  grooved, 

Particle board and similar board (for example, oriented strand board
and waferboard) of wood or other ligneous materials, whether or not
agglomerated with resins or other organic binding substances

Fibreboard  of  wood  or  other  ligneous  materials,  whether  or  not
bonded with resins or other organic substances

Plywood, veneered panels and similar laminated wood

Densified wood, in blocks, plates, strips or profile shapes

15

4414

4415

4416

4417

4418

4419

4420

4421

4701

4702

4703

4704

4705

9401 61

9403 30

9403 40

9403 50

9403 60

Wooden frames for paintings, photographs, mirrors or similar objects

Packing  cases,  boxes,  crates,  drums  and  similar  packings,  of  wood;
cable-drums  of  wood;  pallets,  box  pallets  and  other  load  boards,  of
wood; pallet collars of wood

Casks,  barrels,  vats,  tubs  and  other  coopers'  products  and  parts
thereof, of wood, including staves

Tools, tool bodies, tool handles, broom or brush bodies and handles,
of wood; boot or shoe lasts and trees, of wood

Builders'  joinery  and  carpentry  of  wood,  including  cellular  wood
panels, assembled parquet panels, shingles and shakes

Tableware and kitchenware, of wood

Wood marquetry and inlaid wood; caskets and cases for jewellery or
cutlery, and similar articles, of wood; statuettes and other ornaments,
of wood; wooden articles of furniture not falling in Chapter 94 CN

Other articles of wood

Mechanical wood pulp

Chemical wood pulp, dissolving grades

Chemical wood pulp, soda or sulphate, other than dissolving grades

Chemical wood pulp, sulphite, other than dissolving grades

Wood  pulp  obtained  by  a  combination  of  mechanical  and  chemical
pulping processes

Other seats, with wooden frames

Wooden furniture of a kind used in offices

Wooden furniture of a kind used in the kitchen

Wooden furniture of a kind used in the bedroom

Other wooden furniture

9406 00 10

Prefabricated buildings of wood

16