Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe has been under EU arms embargo since February 2002 (Common Position 2002/145/CFSP). The sanctions have been extended until today without major changes.

1. Conventional weapons

Prohibitions

The current sanctions regime, as detailed in updated versions of Council Decision 2011/101/CFSP and Regulation 314/2004, prohibits :

• The sale, supply, transfer or export of arms and related materiel of all types, including weapons and ammunition, military vehicles and equipment, paramilitary equipment and spare parts for the aforementioned to Zimbabwe (Decision 2011/101/CFSP, art.2, para.1).
• to grant, sell, supply or transfer technical assistance, brokering services and other services, as well as to provide financing or financial assistance related to military activities and to the provision, manufacture, maintenance and use of arms and related materiel of all types that are prohibited (Decision 2011/101/CFSP, art.2, para.2 and Regulation 314/2004, art.2, a et b).

Exceptions

However, the sanctions regime includes several exceptions for conventional weapons.

No prior approval or notification required:

• The sale, supply, transfer or export of of non-lethal military equipment, intended solely for humanitarian or protective use, or for institution-building programmes of the UN and the EU, or of materiel intended for EU and UN crisis management operations (Decision 2011/101/CFSP, art.3, para.1, a), as well as the provision of financial, financial assistance and technical assistance related to such equipment (Decision 2011/101/CFSP, art.3, para.1, b and c, and Regulation 314/2004, art.4, para.1, a), i et ii).
• The supply of protective clothing, including flak jackets and military helmets, temporarily exported to Zimbabwe by UN personnel, personnel of the EU or its Member States, representatives of the media and humanitarian and development workers and associated personnel for their personal use only (Decision 2011/101/CFSP, art.3, para.2 and Regulation 314/2004, art.5).

2. Equipment likely to be used for internal repression

Prohibitions

The current sanctions regime, as detailed in updated versions of Council Decision 2011/101/CFSP and Regulation 314/2004, prohibits :

• The sale, supply, transfer or export of equipment which might be used for internal repression to Zimbabwe (Decision 2011/101/CFSP, art.2, para.1 and Regulation 314/2004, art.3, a). The equipment which might be used for internal repression as listed in Annex I of Regulation 314/2004.
• to grant, sell, supply or transfer technical assistance, brokering services and other services, as well as to provide financing or financial assistance related to the provision, manufacture, maintenance and use of equipment which might be used for internal repression (Decision 2011/101/CFSP, art.2, para.2 and Regulation 314/2004, art.3, b et c).

Exceptions

However, the sanctions regime includes several exceptions.

No prior approval or notification required:

• the sale, supply, transfer or export of non-lethal military equipment or of equipment which might be used for internal repression, intended solely for humanitarian or protective use, or for institution-building programmes of the UN and the EU, or of materiel intended for EU and UN crisis management operation (Decision 2011/101/CFSP, art.3, para.1, a and Regulation 314/2004, art.4, para.1, b), as well as the provision of financial, financial assistance and technical assistance related to such equipment (Decision 2011/101/CFSP, art.3, para.1, b and c, and Regulation 314/2004, art.4, para.1, b).
• the sale, supply, transfer or export of explosive substances and related equipment as listed in point 4 of Annex I as well as the financial and technical assistance, only if the explosive substances and related equipment are intended and will be used solely for civilian use in mining and infrastructure projects (Regulation 314/2004, art.4a, para.1). It has to be approved on a case by case basis by the exporting State.
• The supply of protective clothing, including flak jackets and military helmets, temporarily exported to Zimbabwe by UN personnel, personnel of the EU or its Member States, representatives of the media and humanitarian and development workers and associated personnel for their personal use only (Decision 2011/101/CFSP, art.3, para.2 and Regulation 314/2004, art.5).

Others

Sanctions listed in Decision 2011/101/CFSP have been extended until February 20th, 2025.