The EU states have been wrangling for four weeks over the sixth package of sanctions against Russia, and three days were enough for the most recent package.

It went into effect on Thursday.

However, it does not contain sanctions against the Russian energy sector, apart from certain export goods.

The EU Commission did not even want to talk about the seventh package, this time it should only be one for "maintenance and alignment" - alignment with punitive measures from western partners and maintenance by closing loopholes.

In addition, other people are subject to travel and asset freezes because they support the war of aggression against Ukraine.

There are also companies, including the largest Russian bank.

Sberbank, recently excluded from payment service provider SWIFT,

Thomas Gutschker

Political correspondent for the European Union, NATO and the Benelux countries based in Brussels.

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The most important new measure is the ban on acquiring, importing or transporting through European territory gold originating from Russian mines.

The G-7 countries agreed on this in June.

Contrary to what was initially planned by the EU, the ban now also applies to jewelry.

The only exception is personal valuables.

"We are banning Russia's most important export commodity after energy," said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

Russia is the second largest gold producer in the world.

Although only around five percent of exports go to the European Union, Switzerland (17 percent) and the United Kingdom (7 percent) also want to stop such imports.

In fact, the six largest Russian manufacturers have been excluded from the European and American markets since March;

the trading places decided that themselves.

The turbine subject to sanctions

In addition, fifty entries will be added to the list of high-tech goods and products for civil-military purposes that cannot be exported to Russia.

This includes protective equipment for security forces and tear gas, as well as equipment needed for natural gas 'fracking' and uranium enrichment.

Tools and machines for the manufacture of turbines, weapons and drilling equipment may also no longer be exported.

An official clarified that EU restrictions only apply to turbines used for military purposes.

Russia justified its throttled gas deliveries to Germany by saying that a turbine that was serviced in Canada was subject to sanctions.

She is now on her way to Russia.

The products blocked for export take up only a small trading volume;

according to the EU official, it was 400 million euros last year.

Overall, the EU has now banned exports to Russia worth 24.8 billion euros, which corresponds to 28 percent of the level in the year before the war broke out (88.4 billion euros).

A volume of 82.9 billion euros is affected for imports from Russia;

that is 51 percent of the previous level (162 billion).

With the new resolution, an important specification is made in the listing of persons and companies.

Those affected, often oligarchs, are now expressly obliged to declare their assets in Europe themselves to the authorities, from company stakes to property ownership and yachts.

These values ​​are then frozen by the authorities;

so far, this has happened to a volume of 13.8 billion euros.

If such values ​​are not reported to the authorities independently, it will undoubtedly be a violation of the law in the future.

On this basis, courts can order the confiscation of assets.

In some Member States this is already possible.

In autumn, the EU intends to create a legal basis for this that will be valid throughout Europe.

Targeted exceptions for ships

Other measures relate to loopholes or unintended effects of the previous sanctions.

The ban on Russian ships calling at ports in the EU is now being extended to locks.

This is intended to prevent the practice of ships reloading their cargo onto other ships in front of the ports;

this is said to have happened in northern Germany.

At the same time, there are specific exceptions for ships that supply energy and are forced to sail in Russian waters under the Russian flag, but otherwise have nothing to do with Russia.

It was very important for the EU on Thursday to point out that none of its measures "are in any way aimed at trade between third countries and Russia in agricultural and food products, including wheat and fertilizers".

This was announced by the Council of Member States.

The new package makes it expressly clear that such transactions are not affected by the sanctions, which also applies to all sanctioned banks.

It also remains the case that EU sanctions are not binding on third parties.

These clarifications come in the face of criticism from the African Union, which has blamed the EU for food shortages.

Another EU official said that many discussions with African partners have sought to identify obstacles due to EU sanctions.

However, the answers were "unconvincing".

Rather, the problems are a consequence of the Russian war against Ukraine.

Their supplies are being blocked while Russia itself is hoarding food.