Note: This is an update to our last
bulletin on this subject of 13 August 2014. The new
measures are relevant to Harneys' core jurisdictions: Cyprus,
the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman
Islands.
Concurrent with the conclusion of the NATO Summit meeting in Wales
on 5 September 2014, the President of the Council of the European
Union, Herman Van Rompuy, announced that the EU would implement a
number of new restrictive measures on Russia in response to its
perceived on-going actions in destabilising eastern Ukraine.
Whilst there was some ambiguity as to the precise implementation
date for the new regime they were eventually adopted on 8 September
2014, with the publication date in the Official Journal being 12
September 2014. They come into force one day following publication
in respect of the capital market restrictions and for all other
restrictions on the publication date itself.
In summary, the new measures further enhance the EU sanctions
regime on Russia in the following ways:
- Strengthening restrictions on Russia's access to EU capital markets by imposing a ban on EU nationals and companies providing loans and credit to five major Russian state-owned banks, and increasing restrictions on trade in bonds, equity or similar financial instruments, issued by the same banks, with restrictions extended to some major Russian defence and energy companies.
- Adding 24 persons to the designated persons list of those subject to travel bans and asset freezes, bringing the total to 119 individuals and 23 entities.
- Implementing new restrictions on cooperation by EU persons and companies with Russian industries involved in the oil and gas exploration and production, principally deep water and arctic oil exploration.
- Adding a new sectoral sanction prohibiting the export of dual-use goods and technologies to certain designated persons and entities and restrictions on the insurance and reinsurance of Russian items on the EU 'Common Military List'
These new restrictive measures are in Council Regulation (EU)
959/2014, Council Regulation (EU) 960/2014 implementing Council
Decision 2014/659/CFSP and Council Regulation (EU) 961/2014
implementing Council Decision 2014/658/CFSP.
As far as United Kingdom and United Kingdom Overseas Territories
legislation is concerned the new and pre-existing EU rules have
been further implemented, since our last bulletin, by The Export
Control (Russia, Crimea and Sevastopol Sanctions) Order 2014 of 2
September 2014 and The Ukraine (European Union Financial Sanctions)
(No. 3) (Amendment) Regulations 2014 of 17 September 2014, these
latter two being relevant to varying degrees to the British Virgin
Islands and the Cayman Islands.
In Cyprus, the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission has issued
a revised Circular Cl144-2014-10 of 17 September 2014 instructing
all Cyprus regulated financial institutions to take note of, and
comply with, these new sanctions.
Further restrictions on access to EU capital markets
Most importantly to the financial services sector, the new
restrictions on access to EU capital markets increase and
supplement the prior regime in two significant ways:
Firstly, by restricting the grant of new loans or the extension of
credit arrangements with a maturity in excess of 30 days to (but
not from):
- Five major state-owned Russian banks, being: Sberbank, VTB, Gazprombank, Vnesheconombank (VEB) and Rosselkhozbank and their non-EU based affiliates and subsidiaries;
- Three major state-owned Russian gas producers, being: Rosneft, Transneft and Gazprom Neft and their non-EU based affiliates and subsidiaries;
- and Three major Russian defence firms, being: OPK Oboronprom, United Aircraft Corporation and Uralvagonzavod.
Secondly, the maturity period for the prohibition under the
prior regime (covering transferable securities and money market
instruments) has been reduced from 90 to 30 days. This means that
it is now prohibited to deal in, or provide investment services in
respect of, transferable securities or money market instruments
with a maturity in excess of 30 days issued by Sberbank, VTB,
Gazprombank, Vnesheconombank (VEB) and Rosselkhozbank and their
non-EU based affiliates and subsidiaries. Additionally this
restriction has been extended to the gas firms Rosneft, Transneft
and Gazprom Neft and their non-EU based affiliates and
subsidiaries; and the defence firms, OPK Oboronprom, United
Aircraft Corporation and Uralvagonzavod.
Helpfully, the new amendments clarify the meaning of
"transferable securities" for these purposes, in doing so
negotiable securities giving rise to a cash settlement have been
excluded from scope. It also jettisons the phrase "brokerage
services" in preference to "investment services",
the latter term being more consistent with EC terminology for the
financial services industry, as used in the Markets in Financial
Instruments Directive (MiFID), for example.
It should also be emphasised that whilst loans and credit provided
to these institutions are now restricted, loans and credit from
these institutions are not restricted in any way by these measures.
Equally deposit taking services or other financial services offered
by them to EU customers remain unaffected. Lastly, loans or credit
which have a specific and documented objective to provide financing
for non-prohibited imports or exports or in respect of
non-financial services are excluded from scope.
Nevertheless, complex corporate finance transactions often comprise
of various related or interweaving transactions and can
require counterparties to act in a diverse array capacities. It
will be very important for EU firms to assess whether transactions
involving such Russian credit institutions may be caught,
especially in respect of collateral arrangements which may be
structured as back to back loan arrangements, subordinated debt
arrangements, intragroup lending or stock lending arrangements
where these credit institutions are classed borrowers.
The amended regime comes into force one day following publication
of Council Regulation (EU) 960/2014, i.e. from 13 September 2014
onwards. The prior regime first implemented under Council
Regulation (EU) 833/2014 continues to apply for the transitional
period after 1 August 2014 to (and including) 12 September
2014.
EU capital markets restrictions: Implementation in Cyprus
Cyprus is a member state of the European Union and consequently
the Council Regulations referred to above are directly applicable
to all persons and businesses based in the jurisdiction as well as
to Cypriot-domiciled companies carrying on business anywhere in the
world and to Cypriot and all EU nationals based anywhere in the
world. In addition national law in Cyprus provides for criminal
liability in the event of a breach of such sanctions.
Further, the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission has
instructed all Cyprus regulated financial institutions to take note
of, and comply with, these new sanctions under Circular
Cl144-2014-10 of 17 September 2014. It can therefore be expected
that banks and other financial services providers in Cyprus will be
on heightened watch for activities which may contravene these
restrictions.
EU capital markets restrictions: Implementation in the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands
The British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands are Overseas
Territories of the United Kingdom. Although the UK is a member
state of the EU, its Overseas Territories are not. As such express
UK legislation, known as Orders in Council, is required in order to
implement the Council Regulations referred to above in the
jurisdictions. At present such legislation has not been implemented
but will likely be implemented in October 2014. However it should
be recalled that the Regulations above are applicable to EU
nationals based anywhere in the world (including in the Overseas
Territories).
Furthermore under constitutional arrangements between the UK and
its Overseas Territories as well as the application of British
nationality law to them mean that many residents of the British
Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands will be British citizens and
as such the regimes above will apply to them as individuals.This
position has been further strengthened through the application of
The Ukraine (European Union Financial Sanctions) (No. 3)
(Amendment) Regulations 2014, implementing Council Regulation (EU)
833/2014 as a matter of UK law and The Ukraine (European Union
Financial Sanctions) (No. 3) (Amendment) Regulations 2014,
implementing Council Regulation (EU) 960/2014 as a matter of UK
law.
Additions to the asset freezing and travel ban list
Independent to the sectoral sanctions on access to EU capital
markets mentioned above, the annexation of Crimea by Russia in
March 2014 caused the EU to impose asset freezing and travel ban
restrictions on various Russian and Crimean individuals and
companies. This regime was implemented initially under Council
Regulation (EU) 269/2014. A separate asset freezing and travel ban
regime applies with respect to officials close to former President
Yanukovych.
As relevant to financial services firms and their advisors these
restrictions effectively prohibit all dealings or arrangements
between EU persons and the funds or economic resources of such
persons. Under Council Regulation (EU) 961/2014 various separatist
rebels, Russian politicians and the Chairman of the Rostec
Conglomerate have been designated. The total number of designated
persons now comprises 119 individuals and 23 entities.
This list is fully implemented and in force in Cyprus, the British
Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands. In the latter two
jurisdictions this is ensured through the following UK Orders in
Council: The Ukraine (Sanctions) (Overseas Territories) (No. 2)
Order 2014 and The Ukraine (Sanctions) (Overseas Territories) (No.
3) Order 2014, both of 28 April 2014.
Other changes
Outside of financial services, three industries are targeted for renewed restrictive measures:
- Oil and gas exploration -- In particular, services necessary for deep water oil exploration, arctic oil exploration and shale oil projects in Russia including drilling, well testing, logging and completion services and the supply of specialised floating vessels. The new measures are in Council Regulation (EU) 960/2014 and supplement Council Regulation (EU) 833/2014. These restrictions are fully implemented in Cyprus. As far as the British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands are concerned please refer to our commentary above under "EU capital markets restrictions: Implementation in the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands".
- Dual use goods and technologies -- It is now prohibited for an EU national to sell, supply, transfer or export "dual use" goods and technologies to any of the following: JSC Sirius, OJSC Stankoinstrument, OAO JSC Chemcomposite, JSC Kalashnikov, JSC Tula Arms Plant, NPK Technologii Maschinostrojenija, OAO Wysokototschnye Kompleksi, OAO Almaz Antey and OAO NPO Bazalt. However a number of exemptions are available. The new measures are in Council Regulation (EU) 960/2014 and supplement Council Regulation (EU) 833/2014. These restrictions are now fully implemented in Cyprus. As far as the British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands are concerned please refer to our commentary above under "EU capital markets restrictions: Implementation in the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands". In addition it should be noted that the UK Export Control Act 2002 applies to the Overseas Territories and subsidiary legislation issued under that Act, The Export Control (Russia, Crimea and Sevastopol Sanctions) Order 2014, further implements Council Regulation (EU) 833/2014 in this respect in the Overseas Territories.
- Items on the Common Military List -- Council Regulation (EU) 833/2014 implemented significant restrictions on the export of military items to Russia back in July 2014. Council Regulation (EU) 960/2014 further enhances these restrictions by prohibiting the provision of insurance and reinsurance on such items. For commentary on its application in Cyprus, the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands please refer to the prior bullet point covering dual use goods and technologies.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.