On 17 June 2016, the Council of the European Union adopted the Decision 2014/386/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in response to the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by Russia, extending such measures until 23 June 2017.

Since 2014, following the EU’s non-recognition of the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by Russia, the Council has strongly restricted economic relations with Russia, with reference to the above annexed territories. In particular, these measures concern:

• a prohibition on imports of products originating in Crimea or Sevastopol into the European Union, unless they have been granted a certificate of origin by the Government of Ukraine;
• a prohibition on investments in Crimea or Sevastopol, meaning that no Europeans nor EU-based companies can buy real estate or entities in Crimea, finance Crimean companies or supply related services;
• a prohibition on tourism services in Crimea. In particular, European cruise ships cannot stop at ports in the Crimean peninsula, except in case of emergency;
• a prohibition on exports of certain goods and technologies to Crimean companies or for use in Crimea in the transport, telecommunications and energy sectors and related to the prospection, exploration and production of oil, gas and mineral resources. Technical assistance, brokering, construction or engineering services related to infrastructure in these sectors must not be provided either.