Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1602 of 31 May 2024 implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1509 concerning restrictive measures against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1602of 31 May 2024implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1509 concerning restrictive measures against the Democratic People’s Republic of KoreaTHE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,Having regard to Council Regulation (EU) 2017/1509 of 30 August 2017 concerning restrictive measures against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and repealing Regulation (EC) No 329/2007OJ L 224, 31.8.2017, p. 1., and in particular Article 47 thereof,Having regard to the proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,Whereas:(1)On 30 August 2017, the Council adopted Regulation (EU) 2017/1509.(2)In its conclusions of 17 July 2017, the Council stated that the Union would consider further appropriate responses to actions by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (the "DPRK") that undermine the global non-proliferation and disarmament regime, notably through additional autonomous restrictive measures.(3)On 22 December 2017, in United Nations Security Council Resolution ("UNSCR") 2397 (2017), the United Nations Security Council ("UNSC") reaffirmed that the DPRK shall not conduct any further launches that use ballistic missile technology, nuclear tests, or any other provocation; shall immediately suspend all activities related to its ballistic missile programme and in this context re-establish its pre-existing commitments to a moratorium on all missile launches; shall immediately abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner, and immediately cease all related activities; and shall abandon any other existing weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner.(4)On 19 December 2023, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (the "High Representative") issued a declaration on behalf of the Union strongly condemning the launch, on 18 December 2023, by the DPRK of an inter-continental ballistic missile, for the fifth time in 2023, following the launch of a short-range ballistic missile the day before, which blatantly violated UNSCRs. This declaration underlined that the DPRK must comply immediately with its obligations under UNSCRs by abandoning all its nuclear weapons, other weapons of mass destruction, ballistic missile programmes and existing nuclear programmes, in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner and cease all related activities. It reiterated that the DPRK cannot and will never have the status of a nuclear weapon state in accordance with the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The High Representative urged the DPRK and Russia to refrain from any exchanges of military equipment, missile technology or ammunition and abide by the successive UNSCRs that clearly prohibit any arms exports or imports involving the DPRK and condemned any military support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine provided by the DPRK, reiterating the deep concern about reports of DPRK arms transfers to Russia.(5)From 1 January 2024 until 15 May 2024, the DPRK launched at least 12 ballistic missiles, with each of those launches again constituting a clear violation of UNSCRs.(6)Statements by the Spokesperson of the High Representative on 15 January 2024 and on 2 April 2024 condemned the DPRK’s ballistic missile launches and reiterated calls on the DPRK to cease all illegal actions that threaten regional and international peace and security, while urging the DPRK to engage in dialogue with relevant parties and to comply with its obligations under UNSCRs to abandon its nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner.(7)In its conclusions of 15 December 2023, the European Council condemned the continued military support for Russia’s war of aggression provided by the DPRK, Belarus and Iran.(8)In its conclusions of 22 March 2024, the European Council called for preparing further sanctions against the DPRK, Belarus and Iran.(9)In view of the continued ballistic missile-related activities carried out by the DPRK, in violation of and with flagrant disregard for the relevant UNSCRs, as well as the military support given by the DPRK to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, six individuals and three entities should be included in the lists of persons and entities subject to restrictive measures set out in Annexes XV and XVI to Regulation (EU) 2017/1509.(10)Regulation (EU) 2017/1509 should therefore be amended accordingly,HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: