The EU extended its Lebanon sanctions framework for another year, setting up the restrictions system to expire July 31, 2023, the European Council announced July 26. The framework was adopted in July 2021 to allow the EU the possibility of imposing sanctions on individuals and entities that undermined democracy or the rule of law in Lebanon. Instances of this action include hampering the formation of a government or undermining the holding of elections; obstructing the implementation of plans approved by the Lebanese government to boost accountability and good governance in the public sector or implementation of critical economic reforms; and serious financial misconduct concerning public funds. No sanctions have been imposed under the framework.
U.S. export controls on artificial intelligence may not be the right strategy to hinder Chinese progress in certain AI subfields, including machine learning, Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology said in a report this week. While the controls may seem “attractive in the abstract,” the report said most decoupling regimes are “imperfect and frequently act as a hindrance, rather than an absolute bar, to a rival’s technological progress.”
The U.K. added 42 entries to its Russia sanctions regime and five entries to its Syria sanctions list in a pair of July 27 notices. The additions to the Russian sanctions regime consisted of 41 individuals and one entity. The listed parties include Vitaly Pavlovich Khotsenko, prime minister of the Donetsk People's Republic; Russian Justice Minister Konstantin Anatolyevich Chuychenko; Graham Phillips, U.K. national and video blogger who "has produced and published media content that supports and promotes actions and policies which destabilise Ukraine"; and 29 Russian regional governors.
The EU extended its sanctions regime on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine for another six months, until Jan. 31, the European Council announced July 26. In 2014 in response to Russian aggression in Ukraine, the restrictions were expanded following this year's invasion to include various sectoral sanctions with bans placed on finance, energy, technology, dual-use goods and luxury goods, among other things.
Several European research organizations and universities recently launched a group to share export compliance information and advocate on behalf of members. The European Export Control Association for Research Organizations aims to “unite European Union research institutes, universities and their export control compliance officers with a view to address the specific character of export controls in a research context,” the group said on its website. Stephane Chardon, the European Commission’s chief export control official, said the group's formation is “welcome” news. “[I]t is essential to raise awareness -- and compliance -- within the research community considering their key role in sensitive technology transfers,” Chardon said July 26. The association said it hopes to be “open for membership soon.”
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Two technical committees that advise the Bureau of Industry and Security plan to work together on a proposal to create a "trusted exporter" program, similar to the trusted trader program for importers. Sensors and Instrumentation Technical Advisory Committee Co-Chair Jennifer O'Bryan said during a July 26 quarterly meeting of SINTAC that the Regulations and Procedures Technical Advisory Committee wants to work on such a proposal.
The EU added four individuals and one entity to its Syria sanctions regime, the European Council announced. The sanctions move addresses the Syrian state's efforts to provide support to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Added were Saleh Al-Abdullah, a high-ranking military official; Wagner Group-supervised Sanad Protection and Security Services and co-owners Ahmed Khalil Khalil and Nasser Deeb Deeb; and Issam Shammout, Cham Wings airline owner.
The Commerce Department is prioritizing work to strengthen its export controls and investment restrictions, particularly with allies, Commerce Deputy Secretary Don Graves said, speaking during a July 25 event hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He said the U.S. is continuing to rethink the existing multilateral control regimes and believes the global sanctions response to Russia has set a precedent for how democracies could respond to similar aggression by other countries in the future.
The U.K.'s Westminster Magistrates Court on July 18 amended two account freezing orders (AFO) issued by the National Crime Agency against two companies that were managing the financial and security needs of sanctioned Russian oligarch Petr Aven, the EU Sanctions blog reported. Aven led Russia's largest commercial bank Alfa Bank until March. In June, the U.K.'s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation granted a basic needs license on behalf of Aven for funds to be paid to and from the accounts under the AFOs. While the court said the AFO and OFSI regimes held different purposes, it found it appropriate to vary the terms of the AFOs to be consistent with the terms of a basic needs license granted by OFSI to Aven, the blog post said.