After the crash of Malaysia Airlines plane MH17 in Ukraine on 17 July 2014, citizens sent messages of grief and concern to the European Parliament. They commented on the violent conflict in eastern Ukraine and urged the European Union to take more determined action to resolve the crisis.
On 22 July, the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee held a minute’s silence for the victims of the plane crash, followed by a debate with Ukrainian foreign minister Pavlo Klimkin. Committee members called for a united line between EU Member States on tougher sanctions towards Russia, in reaction to the Russian authorities’ unwillingness to control the flow of arms and heavy weapons across the border to the eastern regions of Ukraine. More information about the debate is available in a press release of the European Parliament.
President Schulz expressed his shock and sadness about the tragic crash in a statement he made on 17 July, adding that ʻthe circumstances which led to this crash must be thoroughly investigated and responsibility for this tragedy establishedʼ.
Decisions on concrete sanctions are prepared by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, in collaboration with the Member States, and need to be approved by the Council of the European Union, i.e. the body representing the governments of the Member States.
The Council adopted on 31 July 2014 a package of significant additional restrictive measures targeting sectoral cooperation and exchanges with Russia. These decisions will limit access to EU capital markets for Russian State-owned financial institutions, impose an embargo on trade in arms, establish an export ban for dual use goods for military end users, and curtail Russian access to sensitive technologies particularly in the field of the oil sector.
Updates on EU’s actions and initiatives
The website of the European External Action Service (EEAS) provides regularly updated information on declarations and decisions at European level concerning Russia and Ukraine.
Do you have any questions on this issue or another EP-related concern? Please use our web form. You write, we answer.
The Citizens' Enquiries Unit provides information on the activities, powers and organisation of the European Parliament. You ask, we answer.
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