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Zimbabwe, EU Sanctions, Summary of Measures, May 2004

Details of the renewal for another 12 months of EU sanctions against Zimbabwe from February 2004.

The EC Common Position (2004/161/CFSP)  dated 19 February 2004 bans various activities.  The EC Council Regulation reiterating the above was adopted on the same day.

The measures include

• The delivery or supply of arms and related materiel, as well as equipment which might be used for internal repression, to Zimbabwe, from Member States’ territory, by their nationals, or using their flagged vessels and aircraft;
• The provision of technical assistance, brokering services and other services related to military activities and to the provision, manufacture, maintenance and use of arms and related materiel and equipment which might be used for internal repression to any person, entity or body in, or for use in, Zimbabwe;
• The provision of financing or financial assistance related to military activities including for arms and related materiel and equipment which might be used for internal repression to any person, entity or body, in or for use in, Zimbabwe.

Council Regulation (EC) 314/2004 was adopted on 19 February 2004 (see link below).  This prohibited the grant, sale, supply or transfer of technical assistance related to military activities and to the provision, manufacture, maintenance and use of arms and related materiel to any person, entity or body, in or for use in, Zimbabwe. It also banned the provision of financing or provision of financial assistance related to military activities to any person, entity or body, in or for use in, Zimbabwe.

The Regulation also imposes the prohibitions outlined above on equipment which might be used for internal repression as listed in Annex I to the Regulation. which came into force on 8 March 2004 provides licensing and enforcement powers for the Council Regulation.  Click on the link in the right hand column.  The Zimbabwe (Sale, Supply, Export and Shipment of Equipment) (Penalties and Licences) Regulations 2002 (SI 2002/868) have been revoked.

Not applicable
The measures set out in the Common Position and Regulation do not apply to:

• Non-lethal military equipment intended solely for humanitarian or protective use, or for institution building programmes of the United Nations, the EU and the Community;
• Material intended for EU and UN crisis management operations;
• Protective clothing, including flak jackets and military helmets, temporarily exported to Zimbabwe by UN personnel, personnel of the EU, the Community or its Member States, representatives of the media and humanitarian and development workers and associated personnel for their personal use.

Extra-territorial controls
Zimbabwe is a destination covered by the provisions of the Trade in Controlled Goods (Embargoed Destinations) Order 2004 (SI 2004/318). This introduced extra-territorial controls on trade (trafficking and brokering) in arms and related materiel from a country outside the UK to specified embargoed destinations.

Other measures renewed
The other measures against Zimbabwe that were renewed by the EU for another 12 months were:

• A travel ban (with certain defined exemptions) preventing 95 listed officials (see the Annex to the Common Position) from entering the EU;
• An assets freeze (with certain defined exemptions) against officials listed in Annex III to the Regulation and a prohibition on making funds and economic resources available to those individuals. The assets freeze provision is administered by the Financial Sanctions Unit of the Bank of England.

For further details of strategic export controls please contact

Department of Trade and Industry
Export Control Organisation
3rd Floor, Kingsgate House
66-74 Victoria Street
London SW1E 6SW
Fax 020 7215 0531
email eco.help@dti.gsi.gov.uk 

This notice is for information only and has no force in law. Please note that where legal advice is required exporters should make their own arrangements.

Export Control Organisation
Department of Trade and Industry

March 2004