Preliminary discussions on the new sanctions package also took place on Thursday during a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.
Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and top diplomat Radosław Sikorski highlighted the need to sanction refineries that process Russian oil.
“This would complement the sanctions we already have on the so-called ‘shadow fleet’,” Sikorski told the Polish Radio correspondent in Brussels, Beata Płomecka.
The “shadow fleet” consists of ageing, dilapidated vessels transporting Russian oil above the price cap, thereby circumventing international sanctions.
These vessels also pose significant environmental risks. Poland has repeatedly drawn attention to this issue and urged swift inclusion of these ships in the sanctions regime.
Poland outlines proposals to strengthen EU sanctions on Russia
Polish authorities have outlined additional measures they would like the EU to adopt.
Warsaw argues that the shipping of Russian oil by sea should be fully prohibited, proposing the removal of the current price cap and its replacement with a complete ban on related services.
Poland is also advocating for mandatory certification of timber origin. This comes in response to alarming data showing that Russia is circumventing EU timber sanctions, generating billions of euros annually.
Russian timber is shipped to countries such as China, Turkey, and Kazakhstan, before being re-exported as processed wood products, such as plywood, which eventually enters the EU market.
A certification system would clearly show the country of origin, not just the final product. In addition, Poland is calling for stricter measures in the financial sector.
This includes banning transactions with banks that continue to use Russia’s SPFS financial messaging system, the country’s equivalent of SWIFT.
EU banks have been banned from using the SPFS for over a year and a half.
Warsaw is also pushing for an expansion of the EU’s blacklist, targeting individuals with travel bans and frozen assets across Europe.
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Source: IAR/Polish Radio/X/@PR24_pl