Explanatory Memorandum to JOIN(2013)5 - Amendment of Council Regulation (EC) No 314/2004 concerning certain restrictive measures in respect of Zimbabwe

Please note

This page contains a limited version of this dossier in the EU Monitor.


Council Regulation (EC) No 314/2004 of 19 February 2004 concerning certain restrictive measures in respect of Zimbabwe i implements several restrictive measures provided for by Council Decision 2011/101/CFSP of 15 February 2011 concerning restrictive measures against Zimbabwe i, including the freezing of funds and economic resources of certain natural or legal persons, entities and bodies.

On 23 July 2012 and 18 February 2013, the Council concluded that a peaceful and credible constitutional referendum in Zimbabwe would represent an important milestone in the preparation of democratic elections justifying an immediate suspension of the majority of all remaining EU targeted restrictive measures against individuals and entities.

In view of the outcome of the Zimbabwean constitutional referendum of 16 March 2013 the Council has decided to suspend the travel ban and asset freeze applying to the majority of the individuals and entities set out in Annex I to Decision 2011/101/CFSP. The suspension will not be applied to ten persons and two entities, given that they play a key role in the operation of the security sector and have a heightened responsibility for ensuring peaceful and democratic elections which are to be held in the near future.

It is necessary to update Council Regulation (EU) No 314/2004 accordingly.

Some of those measures are implemented at the level of the Union and therefore further action by the Union is needed in order to implement these measures.