The Official Journal of the EU is a kind of Official State Gazette in which all decisions are published. And they are also detailed. This Wednesday morning the list of banks that the EU disconnects from swift, the financial payment communication system, has already been published, as well as how Russia Today and Sputnik are cut off, decided unanimously by the 27 as a measure of pressure on the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, before the invasion of Ukraine.
A) Yes, in the Official Gazette is published that “operators are prohibited from disseminating, allowing, facilitating or otherwise contributing to the broadcast of any content by legal persons, entities or bodies listed in Annex IX”.
Those outlets listed in Annex IX are Russia Today in English, Russia Today in the United Kingdom, Russia Today in Germany, Russia Today in France, Russia Today in Spanish, and Sputnik.
That prohibition, says the text, will be exercised “even through transmission or distribution by any means such as cable, satellite, IP-TV, Internet service providers, Internet video sharing platforms or applications, whether new or previously installed. “.
In addition, the EU states: “Any broadcasting license or authorization, transmission and distribution agreement entered into with the legal persons, entities or bodies listed in Annex IX is suspended.”
The broadcast ban began to take effect on Tuesday, after YouTube, TikTok and Facebook blocked Russian channels RT and Sputnik at the request of Brussels. The contents and profiles of both groups have been inaccessible since Tuesday on all these platforms, which have explained that the blockade is due to an official request by the European Commission and some EU member governments.
“Due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, we are blocking YouTube channels connected to RT and Sputnik across Europe, effective immediately. Our systems will take some time to be fully prepared,” reported Google, owner of the video platform. first thing this Tuesday. “Our teams continue to monitor the situation 24 hours a day to take rapid action,” adds the multinational.
Disconnection of some banks
The Official Gazette has also published the list of the seven banks that the EU has decided to disconnect from Swift. None of them are vital for the export of gas to Europe –40% comes from Russia–, as could have been Sberbank or Gazprombank.
The seven affected banks are: Bank Otkritie, Novikombank, Promsvyazbank, Bank Rossiya, Sovcombank, VNESHECONOMBANK (VEB) and VTB BANK.
“It is prohibited, as of March 12, 2022”, says the text, “to provide specialized financial messaging services, used to exchange financial data, to legal persons, entities or bodies listed in Annex VIII or to any legal person , entity or body established in Russia whose property rights are directly or indirectly owned by more than 50% of an entity listed in Annex VIII”.
The text adds: “It is prohibited to sell, supply, transfer or export banknotes denominated in euros to Russia or to any legal person, entity or body in Russia, including the Government and the Central Bank of Russia, or for use in Russia.”
www.eldiario.es