A group of European countries not in the EU aligned with two sanctions moves from the EU on Iran and one under the bloc's regime against the proliferation and use of chemical weapons, the European Council announced Oct. 26.

The European Parliament's Environment Committee this week passed a sustainable pesticides regulation that could set new limits on imported agricultural goods and food products, along with other pesticide-related bans. The measures, approved 47-37, with 2 abstentions, would require the European Commission to “examine the differences in the use of pesticides” on imported agricultural and agri-food products by 2025 and potentially propose measures to “ensure imports meet EU-equivalent standards,” the European Parliament said in a news release. It also would prohibit exports of pesticides not approved in the EU.

The European Council on Oct. 24 amended the sanctions listing for Irina Anatolievna Kostenko under its Russia sanctions regime. The council updated Kostenko's date of birth from April 4, 1974, to May 8, 1967.

The U.K. on Oct. 25 issued a new license under its Russia and Belarus sanctions regimes related to certain legal services payments, replacing the current license that was scheduled to expire Oct. 28 (see 2305010012), according to the EU Sanctions blog. Under the new license, the cap for services based on a prior obligation and services not based on a prior obligation may not exceed 10% of the "amount payable for the professional legal fees and Counsel's fees," or around $60,700, whichever is lower.

The EU General Court on Oct. 25 annulled the listing of the ex-wife of Alfa Group founder Mikhail Fridman, referred to only as "QF" in the opinion, according to an unofficial translation. Originally sanctioned in April 2022, QF was delisted five months later. The court annulled her original listing. QF claimed the European Council based its decision on evidence lacking probative value and erroneously assessed the facts.

The EU released Oct. 20 its annual report on the implementation of the bloc's strategy targeting weapons of mass destruction proliferation. The report breaks down the state of issues regarding nuclear, chemical and biological issues, along with the current export control and sanctions regimes geared towards addressing these problems.

The U.N. Security Council and the U.K. recently amended the sanctions entry for one of Haiti’s “most influential gang leaders.” The move revised identifying information for Jimmy Cherizier, a former police officer who has committed “serious human rights abuses,” the Security Council said.

The EU established a sanctions framework pertaining to the situation in Niger, allowing the bloc to sanction the parties that "undermine the stability, democracy, rule of law in Niger, and constitute a threat to peace and security in the region." The European Council announced Oct. 23 that the sanctions framework will aid the Economic Community of West African States' (ECOWAS) efforts to secure a return to "constitutional order in Niger" after a military coup in the country earlier this year. Sanctions under the regime will include a humanitarian exemption.

A group of European countries not in the EU aligned with a recent sanctions decisions from the EU regarding the situation in Ukraine, the European Council announced. On Sept. 28, the council made it illegal to broadcast any content made by parties subject to the sanctions on Russia. The countries of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland and Liechtenstein also imposed the decision, the council said.

The European Council adopted the "Anti-Coercion Instrument" Oct. 23 -- a trade tool meant to disincentivize the use of coercive trade and investment measures "through dialogue." Should the dialogue fall through, the instrument allows for the EU to impose countermeasures, including trade restrictions, via "increased customs duties, import or export licences, restrictions on trade in services or access to foreign direct investment or public procurement."