EU amends some sanctions on Iran

The European Union has amended some sanctions against Iran in response to judgments of the European Court on September 6. "While the Council does not intend to appeal in these cases, technical changes have been made to maintain the listings while taking into account the Court's views," said a statement by the EU Council of Economic and Financial Affairs, which met in Brussels on Friday. "These decisions do not amount to a change in the EU's sanctions policy regarding Iran," added the statement, without giving any details. The European Court of Justice, on September 6, ruled that the European Union should lift the curbs on seven Iranian companies and one Iranian individual as there was insufficient evidence that they were involved in nuclear proliferation activities. The Luxembourg-based tribunal said the persons and entities in the cases before the Court had been designated by decisions of the EU as having been involved in Iran's nuclear programme, and their funds were frozen. With regard to Post Bank Iran, Iran Insurance Company, Good Luck Shipping and Export Development Bank of Iran, the Court ruled that the EU Council has not proved the facts of which it accuses those four companies and that the Council could not, therefore, properly establish that they had provided support for nuclear proliferation. The Court also annulled freezing funds of a businessman identified as "Bateni," Persia International Bank and Iranian Offshore Engineering Construction Co. In each of those cases, the Court found that the EU Council made an error of assessment inasmuch as the facts and evidence on which it relied . The court, however, ruled that Bank Melli Iran and the European-Iranian Trade Bank should remain on the list of those funds of which are frozen