32003E0365

Council Common Position 2003/365/CFSP

of 19 May 2003

amending Common Position 2001/357/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Liberia

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Article 15 thereof,

Whereas:

(1) On 7 May 2001 the Council adopted Common Position 2001/357/CFSP(1) concerning restrictive measures against Liberia so as to implement UNSC Resolution 1343 (2001) setting out measures to be imposed against Liberia, adopted on 7 March 2001 by the United Nations Security Council, (hereinafter referred to as UNSCR 1343 (2001)).

(2) On 7 May 2003 the United Nations Security Council adopted UNSCR 1478 (2003) whereby the measures imposed against Liberia by UNSCRs 1343 (2001) and 1408 (2002) are amended and extended until 7 May 2004.

(3) UNSCR 1478 (2003) calls upon the Government of Liberia to establish an effective Certificate of Origin regime for Liberian rough diamonds that is transparent and internationally verifiable, and provides that when such a regime is ready to become fully operational and to be properly implemented, rough diamonds controlled by the Government of Liberia through the Certificate of Origin regime shall be exempted from the import prohibition imposed by UNSCR 1343 (2001).

(4) Action by the Community is needed in order to implement certain measures,

HAS ADOPTED THIS COMMON POSITION:

Article 1

Common Position 2001/357/CFSP is hereby amended as follows:

1. Article 3 shall be replaced by the following:

"Article 3

Member States shall take the necessary measures to prevent the entry into, or transit through, their territories of:

(a) senior members of the Government of Liberia and its armed forces and their spouses and any other individuals providing financial and military support to armed rebel groups in countries neighbouring Liberia, in particular the RUF (Revolutionary United Front) in Sierra Leone, as designated by the Committee established by paragraph 14 of UNSCR 1343 (2001), under the conditions set out in UNSCR 1343 (2001);

(b) any individuals, including from the LURD (Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy) or other armed rebel groups, determined by that Committee to be in violation of the arms embargo set out in Article 1, under the conditions set out in UNSCR 1478 (2003)."

2. The following Article shall be inserted:

"Article 3a

1. The direct or indirect import into the Community of all round logs and timber products originating in Liberia shall be prohibited.

2. Paragraph 1 shall apply as from 7 July 2003 unless the Council decides otherwise in accordance with any future relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions."

Article 2

Common Position 2001/357/CFSP is hereby extended until 7 May 2004 unless the Council decides otherwise in accordance with any future relevant United Nations Security Council Resolution.

Article 3

This Common Position shall take effect on the date of its adoption.

It shall be applicable from 7 May 2003.

Article 4

This Common Position shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Done at Brussels, 19 May 2003.

For the Council

The President

G. Papandreou

(1) OJ L 126, 8.5.2001, p. 1, Common Position as last amended by Common Position 2002/457/CFSP (OJ L 155 of 14.6.2002, p. 62).