Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal East, Labour)
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193. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the EU plans to bring sanctions on the aviation fuel sector to prevent airstrikes on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Burma/Myanmar; if any other measures are planned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9578/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Four years on from the 2021 military coup, the situation in Myanmar remains of grave concern. Since October 2023, the conflict between the Myanmar Armed Forces and various armed groups has escalated. Significant areas of Myanmar are now under the control of non-state armed groups, and there have been increasingly brutal attacks by the military, with civilians bearing the brunt of the violence. Conflict dynamics and natural disasters have compounded the existing humanitarian crisis, with an estimated 3.5 million persons displaced internally, while 15.2 million face acute food insecurity. The human rights situation has deteriorated at a rapid rate. Ireland has repeatedly condemned the coup and called for the Myanmar military to immediately cease all human rights abuses and attacks against civilians.

EU sanctions are an important tool of the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy, and are used as part of an integrated and comprehensive approach to the pursuit of EU foreign policy objectives. They are targeted in nature, in order to minimise unintended negative impacts on others in-country, such as civilian populations and humanitarian actors. Following the military coup on 1 February 2021, the EU has introduced extensive restrictive measures in relation to Myanmar. These are targeted, so as to avoid harm to the people of Myanmar, while effectively targeting Myanmar’s military regime, and other groups and entities which threaten democracy, rule of law and peace and security.

The current restrictive measures, adopted in response to human rights violations in Myanmar, include an arms embargo, export bans on dual-use goods, on goods which can be used for internal repression and on telecommunications equipment; a ban on providing technical assistance or financing military activities; as well as a prohibition of military training and cooperation with the Myanmar Armed Forces (Tatmadaw). The measures also include an asset freeze, and a prohibition on making funds or economic resources available to designated individuals and entities, as well as travel bans on individuals. Specifically, there is a prohibition on making funds or economic resources available to the Asia Sun Group, which is involved in the supply chain of aviation fuel to the military. In October 2024, the EU adopted the eighth package of sanctions since the coup, with new restrictive measures against a number of individuals and entities in Myanmar. Ireland fully supported this.

EU sanctions are reviewed at regular intervals to ensure that the measures are appropriate and aligned with recent developments. Ireland welcomes consideration of further measures that would be effective in restoring Myanmar’s democratic path and creating conditions conducive to the voluntary, safe and dignified return of Rohingya refugees. My Department continues to keep the situation in Myanmar, and the potential for the EU to influence it positively, under review.