Germany demands ‘Not for Russia’ clause on EU goods

By Ansgar Haase, dpa I Friday, May 12, 2023

 

BERLIN – The German government wants the European Union to agree to a so-called “Not for Russia” clause which would require companies from non-EU countries to contractually commit to not exporting goods they purchased within the bloc to Russia.

The German ambassador to the EU presented the proposal during negotiations in Brussels on Wednesday, EU sources told dpa.

According to the proposal, importers would also have to provide written assurance they will only resell these goods to other companies if they also sign a “Not for Russia” clause.

This could apply primarily to the export of goods that can be used for both civilian and military purposes, EU sources said, for example, night vision devices and drones.

Berlin’s proposal comes during ongoing negotiations on an 11th package of EU sanctions against Russia. These measures are primarily intended to combat the circumvention of sanctions already imposed.

The European Commission has proposed, among other things, the creation of a legal framework to restrict selected exports to certain non-EU countries due to alleged sanctions circumvention.

Many products from EU-member states have already been banned from being delivered to Russia for months. According to diplomats, however, not all EU member states are in favour of the commission’s proposal.

The concern is that some member states may lack the willingness to put countries like China on such a list due to potential retaliatory measures.

In this case, the plan would only be effective if its mere existence had a deterrent effect. This is because the consent of all 27 EU member states would be necessary for the listing of each country and each product.

In addition to China, countries considered to be circumventing sanctions against Russia include Kazakhstan, Armenia and the United Arab Emirates. EU experts have also identified Turkey as a country relatively determined to circumvent the measures.