The numbers still aren’t enormous – 70,000 GBP total has been frozen under the ISIL/Al-Qaida regime, 18,000 under EU Reg 2580/2001 and 9,000 under TAFA. There were 45 total accounts frozen as of the end of the quarter, and only 2 new designations (both ISIL/AL-Qaida) and 4 delistings (also all ISIL/Al-Qaida) this quarter. There was one TAFA renewal.
Link:
Eighth Biennial Report for Licensing Activities Undertaken Pursuant to the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (TSRA)
8/19/2019
OFAC has released a Biennial Report of Licensing Activities pursuant to Section 906(c) of the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (TSRA), covering activities undertaken by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) under Section 906(a)(1) of the TSRA from October 2014 through September 2016. Under the procedures established in its TSRA-related regulations, OFAC processes license applications requesting authorization to export agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices to Iran and Sudan under the specific licensing regime set forth in Section 906 of the TSRA.
Links:
The UK publishes a quarterly report about its counter-terrorism sanctions program – and the one for Q4 of 2018 (calendar) is out. Here are the highlights:
Link:
Annex 1
Written Ministerial Statement
____________________________________________________________________
Operation of the UK’s Counter-Terrorist Asset Freezing Regime: 1 July to 30 September 2018
The Economic Secretary to the Treasury (John Glen): Under the Terrorist Asset-Freezing etc. Act 2010 (TAFA 2010), the Treasury is required to prepare a quarterly report regarding its exercise of the powers conferred on it by Part 1 of TAFA 2010. This written statement satisfies that requirement for the period 1 July to 30 September 2018.
This report also covers the UK’s implementation of the UN’s ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida asset freezing regime (ISIL-AQ), and the operation of the EU’s asset freezing regime under EU Regulation (EC) 2580/2001 concerning external terrorist threats to the EU (also referred to as the CP 931 regime).
Under the UN’s ISIL-AQ asset freezing regime, the UN has responsibility for designations and the Treasury, through the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI), has responsibility for licensing and compliance with the regime in the UK under the ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2011.
Under EU Regulation 2580/2001, the EU has responsibility for designations and OFSI has responsibility for licensing and compliance with the regime in the UK under Part 1 of TAFA 2010.
A new EU asset freezing regime under EU Regulation (2016/1686) was implemented on 22 September 2016. This permits the EU to make autonomous Al-Qaida and ISIL (Da’esh) listings.
The following tables set out the key asset-freezing activity in the UK during the quarter.
The recently passed Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act will help ensure that UK counterterrorist sanctions powers remain a useful tool for law enforcement and intelligence agencies to consider utilising, while also meeting the UK’s international obligations.
Under the Act, a designation could be made where there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the person or group is or has been involved in a defined terrorist activity and that designation is appropriate. This approach is in line with the UK’s current approach under UN and EU sanctions and would be balanced by procedural protections such as the ability of designated persons to challenge the Government in court.
Sorry, but the tables on page 2 of the report don’t cut and paste real well…
Frozen funds: the ISIL-AQ regime had thre most frozen accounts (35) and funds (70,000 GBP), with the TAFA regime being a distant second (6 accounts for 9,000 GBP).
New designations: 4 for ISIL-AQ, 1 under EU Regulation 2016/1686
And there were 5 TAFA renewals in the quarter.
Additionally:
Licensing
One interim basic needs licence was issued under the CT regimes during this quarter. Four General licences remained current during this quarter.3
Link:
The UK’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) issues a quarterly report on the functioning of the Terrorist Asset Freezing etc. Act 2010 (TAFA). Here is the text of the report:
Annex 1 (statistical tables omitted)
Written Ministerial Statement
____________________________________________________________________
Operation of the UK’s Counter-Terrorist Asset Freezing Regime: 1 April 2018 to 30 June 2018
The Economic Secretary to the Treasury (John Glen): Under the Terrorist Asset-Freezing etc. Act 2010 (TAFA 2010), the Treasury is required to prepare a quarterly report regarding its exercise of the powers conferred on it by Part 1 of TAFA 2010. This written statement satisfies that requirement for the period 1 April 2018 to 30 June 2018.
This report also covers the UK’s implementation of the UN’s ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida asset freezing regime (ISIL-AQ), and the operation of the EU’s asset freezing regime under EU Regulation (EC) 2580/2001 concerning external terrorist threats to the EU (also referred to as the CP 931 regime).
Under the UN’s ISIL-AQ asset freezing regime, the UN has responsibility for designations and the Treasury, through the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI), has responsibility for licensing and compliance with the regime in the UK under the ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2011.
Under EU Regulation 2580/2001, the EU has responsibility for designations and OFSI has responsibility for licensing and compliance with the regime in the UK under Part 1 of TAFA 2010.
A new EU asset freezing regime under EU Regulation (2016/1686) was implemented on 22 September 2016. This permits the EU to make autonomous Al-Qaida and ISIL (Da’esh) listings.
The following tables set out the key asset-freezing activity in the UK during the quarter.
The recently passed Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 (SAMLA) will help ensure that UK counterterrorist sanctions powers remain a useful tool for law enforcement and intelligence agencies to consider utilising, while also meeting the UK’s international obligations.
Under SAMLA, a designation could be made where there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the person or group is or has been involved in a defined terrorist activity and that designation is appropriate. This approach is in line with the UK’s current approach under UN and EU sanctions and would be balanced by procedural protections such as the ability of designated persons to challenge the Government in court.
Licensing
No licences were issued under any of the CT regimes during this quarter. Four General licences remained current during this quarter.3
Listings
All persons subject to financial sanctions
Consolidated list of all the individuals, organisations and businesses subject to financial sanctions in the UK:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/financial-sanctions-consolidated-list-of- targets/consolidated-list-of-targets
UN and EU sanctions on the Al-Qaida and ISIL (Da’esh) organisations
Current designations under the UN’s ISIL-AQ regime and EU Regulation 2016/1686:4
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/current-list-of-designated-persons-al-qaida
Current designations under the UK and EU’s terrorist asset-freezing regime
Current designations under TAFA 2010 and EU Regulation (EC) 2580/2001:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/current-list-of-designated-persons-terrorism-and- terrorist-financing
The following descriptors are included in the ‘Other Information’ field of the consolidated list:
• ‘UK listing only’ – listed under TAFA 2010 only
• ‘Both UK and EU listing’ – listed under TAFA 2010 and under the EU’s asset freezing regime 2580/2001
• ‘EU listing only’ – listed under EU’s asset freezing regime. The prohibitions are found in Council Regulation (EC) No 2580/2001 with penalties given by TAFA 2010
Statistics:
Frozen funds:
No new TAFA designations, but 2 new ISIL-AQ designations
No TAFA delistings, but 1 Final Designation renewal
Link:
Last Friday, the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementaton (OFSI), part of HM Treasury, issued its annual review of its operations from April 2017 to March of this year. Interesting stats:
A good read!
Link:
Each quarter, a report of the operation of the UK’s counter terrorism asset freezing program under the Terrorist Asset Freezing Act 2010 (TAFA 2010) is published. However, the only part that is publicly issued is the Ministerial statement and some statistics. The report for January through March of 2018 was published on July 11th:
Annex 1
Written Ministerial Statement
____________________________________________________________________
Operation of the UK’s Counter-Terrorist Asset Freezing Regime: 1 January 2018 to 31 March 2018
The Economic Secretary to the Treasury (John Glen): Under the Terrorist Asset-Freezing etc. Act 2010 (TAFA 2010), the Treasury is required to prepare a quarterly report regarding its exercise of the powers conferred on it by Part 1 of TAFA 2010. This written statement satisfies that requirement for the period 1 January 2018 to 31 March 2018.
This report also covers the UK’s implementation of the UN’s ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida asset freezing regime (ISIL-AQ), and the operation of the EU’s asset freezing regime under EU Regulation (EC) 2580/2001 concerning external terrorist threats to the EU. (also referred to as the CP 931 regime).
Under the ISIL-AQ asset freezing regime, the UN has responsibility for designations and the Treasury, through the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI), has responsibility for licensing and compliance with the regime in the UK under the ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2011.
Under EU Regulation 2580/2001, the EU has responsibility for designations and OFSI has responsibility for licensing and compliance with the regime in the UK under Part 1 of TAFA 2010.
A new EU asset freezing regime under EU Regulation (2016/1686) was implemented on 22 September 2016. This permits the EU to make autonomous Al-Qaida and ISIL (Da’esh) listings. The first designation under the regime was made during this quarter, and is recorded in the fifth column of the table below.
The following tables set out the key asset-freezing activity in the UK during the quarter.
The recently passed Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act will help ensure that UK counterterrorist sanctions powers remain a useful tool for law enforcement and
intelligence agencies to consider utilising, while also meeting the UK’s international
obligations.
Under the Act, a designation could be made where there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the person or group is or has been involved in a defined terrorist activity and that designation is appropriate. This approach is in line with the UK’s current approach under UN and EU sanctions and would be balanced by procedural protections such as the ability of designated persons to challenge the Government in court.
Unfortunately, the tables on pages 2 and 3 don’t cut and paste cleanly, so… the link is below.
Link:
