The Syria (Restrictive Measures) (Overseas Territories) (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/1528)

Summary

This UK Order in Council makes a single technical amendment to the Syria (Restrictive Measures) (Overseas Territories) Order 2012, which applies EU Syria sanctions in specified Overseas Territories including the British Virgin Islands. The change updates the cut off date used in the cultural property provisions of the sanctions regime.

• What changes: Article 15A(2)(a) of the principal Order previously exempted Syrian cultural property removed from Syria before 9 May 2011 from the import, export, transfer and brokering prohibitions. This Order replaces that date with 15 March 2011.
• Why: The amendment aligns the BVI/Overseas Territories sanctions regime with EU Council Decision 2015/837/CFSP and UN Security Council resolution 2199 (2015), which moved the relevant cut off date earlier.
• Effect: Prohibitions on dealing in Syrian cultural property now apply to property illegally removed from Syria from 15 March 2011 onwards, rather than from 9 May 2011 onwards, widening the scope of prohibited property.

The Order does not introduce new categories of obligated persons or new reporting duties; it simply narrows the exemption date within the existing sanctions prohibition already binding on persons dealing in Syrian cultural property under the 2012 principal Order as previously amended.

Key obligations

• Persons dealing in Syrian cultural property must treat property illegally removed from Syria on or after 15 March 2011 (rather than 9 May 2011) as subject to the prohibitions on importation, exportation, transfer and related brokering under article 15A of the principal Order.

Applies to

persons dealing in Syrian cultural property, entities subject to Syria sanctions in the British Virgin Islands and other Overseas Territories

Deadlines

• 13th August 2015: Date the Order comes into force

Related documents

• The Sanctions (Overseas Territories) (Revocations) Order 2020 repeals this document