European External Action Service
The European External Action Service (EEAS) is the diplomatic institution of the European Union, established under the Treaty of Lisbon in 2009. It operates under the authority of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, who also serves as Vice-President of the European Commission. Headquartered in Brussels, it coordinates the EU's common foreign and security policy, conducts diplomatic relations on the Union's behalf, and runs the EU delegations in third countries. Its work includes drafting sanctions packages and coordinating the bloc's external action initiatives.
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EU ambassadors agree 22nd Russia sanctions package after Estonia secures removal of rare-earth supplier
EU ambassadors agreed on 7 October on a new sanctions package against Russia — the largest approved at one time — covering 743 individuals and 826 legal entities tied to Russia's military-industrial complex. At Estonia's request, one Russian rare-earth supplier and an associated individual were removed from the draft to protect inputs for the Estonian company NPM Silmet. EU foreign ministers are due to formally approve the package on 12 October.
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EU ambassadors agree on largest Russia sanctions package to date, targeting 1,500 individuals and companies
EU member-state ambassadors agreed on October 7 to add 743 individuals and 826 companies linked to Russia's military-industrial complex to the EU sanctions list, along with 77 people 'elected' to the Russian State Duma from occupied Ukrainian territories. The package also extends the chemical-weapons sanctions regime covering 31 individuals and six organizations. Formal approval is scheduled at the EU Foreign Affairs Council on October 12 in Luxembourg.
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EU proposes largest-ever sanctions package against Russia's military-industrial complex
On 16 September, the European External Action Service presented a new sanctions package to EU ambassadors listing 1,576 individuals and entities connected to Russia's military-industrial complex. According to a source, it would be the largest single addition to the EU's Ukraine-related sanctions regime since its creation in 2014. The proposal still requires technical review and further approval by member-state ambassadors.