Council Regulation (EU) 2023/155 of 23 January 2023 amending Regulation (EU) No 356/2010 imposing certain specific restrictive measures directed against certain natural or legal persons, entities or bodies, in view of the situation in Somalia

New Council Regulation (EU) 2023/155 concerning sanction measures aimed at individuals and entities designated by the United Nations (UN) as engaging in or providing support for acts that threaten the peace, security or stability of Somalia was published in the Official Journal (OJ) of the EU. The Regulation transposes the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2662 which primarily „extends the scope of exemptions to the arms embargo and the related financing, financial assistance and technical assistance intended for certain recipients in Somalia“. The resolution also extends, however, the grounds for being subject to asset freezing measures to include the following:
A person – legal or natural, and a body may be subject to asset freezing measures for:
„being associated with Al-Shabaab, acts and activities indicating that an individual or entity is associated with Al-Shabaab including:
(i) participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating of acts or activities by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf of, or in support of Al-Shabaab;
(ii) supplying, selling or transferring arms and related materiel to Al-Shabaab; and
(iii) recruiting for, or otherwise supporting acts or activities of Al-Shabaab or any cell, affiliate, splinter group or derivative thereof.“
Accordingly, Article 2(3) of Council Regulation (EU) No 356/2010 stipulating the grounds for being sanctioned and placed on the sanctions list in Annex I of that regulation is modified.