Address https://gelex.eu/eli/EU/decision/2021/908@2021-06-04/en

Contents

1. Preamble
2. 1. Article 1
3. Article 1
   1. Article 2a
4. 1. Article 2

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union and in particular Article 29 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,

Whereas:

(1) On 15 October 2012, the Council adopted Decision 2012/642/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Belarus.

(2) On 24 and 25 May 2021, the European Council adopted conclusions in which it strongly condemned the forced landing of a Ryanair flight in Minsk, Belarus, on 23 May 2021 endangering aviation safety, and the detention by Belarusian authorities of journalist Raman Pratasevich and Sofia Sapega. It called on the Council to adopt the necessary measures to ban overflight of Union airspace by Belarusian airlines and prevent access to Union airports of flights operated by such airlines.

(3) In view of the gravity of that incident, the Council has determined that Member States should be required to deny permission to land in, take off from or overfly their territories to any aircraft operated by Belarusian air carriers, including as a marketing carrier.

(4) Further action by the Union is needed in order to implement that measure.

(5) Decision 2012/642/CFSP should therefore be amended accordingly,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The following Article is inserted in Decision 2012/642/CFSP:

Article 1

Article 2a

1. Member States shall deny permission to land in, take off from or overfly their territories to any aircraft operated by Belarusian air carriers, including as a marketing carrier, in accordance with their national rules and laws and consistent with international law, in particular relevant international civil aviation agreements.

2. Paragraph 1 shall not apply in the case of an emergency landing or an emergency overflight.

3. Paragraph 1 shall not apply in the event that the Member State or Member States concerned determine that a landing, take-off or overflight is required for humanitarian purposes or any other purpose consistent with the objectives of this Decision. In such event, the Member State or Member States concerned shall inform the other Member States and the Commission..

Article 2

This Decision shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Done at Brussels, 4 June 2021. For the Council The President A. P. Zacarias

Versions

1. 2021-06-04

Cited by

• Council Regulation (EU) 2021/907 of 4 June 2021 amending Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 concerning restrictive measures in respect of Belarus Regulation · Grade B

  Council Decision (CFSP) 2021/908 amending Decision 2012/642/CFSP was adopted pursuant to the conclusions of the European Council of 24 and 25 May 2021 following the unlawful forced landing of an intra-EU Ryanair flight in Minsk, Belarus, on 23 May 2021. That incident, which demonstrated the unreliability of the Belarusian aviation authorities, endangered aviation safety on the basis of fabricated evidence with the objective of enabling the detention by Belarusian authorities of journalist and opposition blogger Raman Pratasevich and Sofia Sapega, and constituted a further step in the repressio

• P9_TA(2021)0293 Systematic repression in Belarus and its consequences for European security following abductions from an EU civilian plane intercepted by Belarusian authorities European Parliament resolution of 10 June 2021 on the systematic repression in Belarus and its consequences for European security following the abductions from an EU civilian plane intercepted by Belarusian authorities (2021/2741(RSP)) 2022/C 67/15 Notice · Grade B

  having regard to Council Decision (CFSP) 2021/908 of 4 June 2021 amending Decision 2012/642/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Belarus, whereby it introduced a ban on the overflight of EU airspace and on access to EU airports by Belarusian carriers of all kinds,