Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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323. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will outline the sanctions that have been imposed by the EU on Belarus following on from Belarus’s involvement in the war with Ukraine. [61885/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The EU has condemned Belarus' involvement in Russia's unprovoked and unjustified military invasion of Ukraine. In response to the invasion, since late February, the EU has adopted a wide range of sanctions targeting both Russia and Belarus. These measures build on separate restrictive measures introduced by the EU following the fraudulent presidential elections in Belarus in August 2020.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, significant restrictions have been placed on trade between the EU and Belarus, in particular on goods used for the production of tobacco, hydrocarbons, and a range of materials like potash, wood, cement, iron, steel and rubber. Strategic restrictions have been imposed on exports to Belarus of dual-use goods and technology that might contribute to Belarus’ military, technological and security development. Belarussian road transport operators have also been banned from transporting goods by road within the EU.

In addition, a range of measures have been introduced targeting the Belarusian financial sector. Several Belarusian banks have been removed from the SWIFT financial messaging system and transactions with the Central Bank of Belarus are prohibited.

Limits have been placed on financial inflows from Belarus to the EU by prohibiting the acceptance of large deposits from Belarusians, the holding of accounts of Belarusian clients by the EU central securities depositories, as well as a ban on the sale of euro-denominated securities to Belarusian clients. The provision of euro banknotes to Belarus is also now prohibited, while a ban has been placed on the listing and provision of services in relation to shares of Belarusian State-owned entities in EU trading venues.

The sanctions adopted since February 2022 also include asset freezes and travel bans targeting Belarusian military personnel, state officials, members of the judicial branch, businesspeople, as well as those responsible for spreading disinformation and calling for violence.