THE European Union has decided to re-instate National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC), a unit of the National Iranian Oil Company, on the sanctions list against Iranian firms.
The EU's second-highest court ruled last July that there were no grounds to blacklist NITC after it contested the decision, but the EU moved to re-impose sanctions on tighter legal grounds, Reuters reported.
The decision to put the tanker firm back on the sanctions list was taken by an EU working group and published in the EU's official gazette.
The EU also decided to re-impose sanctions on Iranian businessman Gholam Golparvar, who, the EU claimed, has links to Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL)
An attempt in a London Court by NITC to stop the EU re-imposing sanctions failed.
NITC contested the EU's original blacklisting last year, arguing that the firm is privately owned by Iranian pension funds. It denied any links with the Iranian government or the Revolutionary Guards.
The EU told NITC lawyers that it disagreed with their arguments that the NITC did not provide financial support to the Iranian government and therefore should not be sanctioned.
"You acknowledge that NITC's shareholders are entities providing pensions and other social benefits and social security is a responsibility of the Iranian government," the letter said.
The EU had therefore decided to include the NITC again on "the list of persons and entities subject to restrictive measures," the letter said.
The General Court had annulled sanctions against Mr Golparvar and other Iranian businessmen in December 2013, saying the listings were legally faulty.
The company went to the London High Court seeking an urgent injunction to compel the UK to veto the EU decision, but the application was rejected.
High Court Judge Nicholas Green summarized the case saying that the British government argued that a UK veto of EU sanctions would damage London's credibility on the nuclear issue, reducing chances of a negotiated settlement.
For the Iranians, the judge said that while NITC arguments could not be dismissed, they should be put to the Luxembourg-based General Court, and that for an English court to compel a British government to veto sanctions would be "wholly exceptional".
It also risked causing "tangible difficulties for the policy behind the sanctions regime."
IMO&EU NEWS
20 February 2015 - 21:57
National Iranian Tanker Company back on EU black list
THE European Union has decided to re-instate National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC), a unit of the National Iranian Oil Company, on the sanctions list against Iranian firms.
IMO&EU NEWS
20 February 2015 - 21:57
National Iranian Tanker Company back on EU black list
This news 9504 hits received.
These news may also interest you