The Council adopted the first legal acts implementing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the agreement reached on 14 July 2015 in Vienna on the Iranian nuclear issue.
On 20 July 2015, the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution endorsing the JCPOA. This resolution provides for certain derogations from restrictions currently in place so as to allow:
- the shipment of certain nuclear-related equipment out of Iran, the modification of two cascades in Fordow and the modernization of the Arak reactor;
- transfers and activities necessary to implement certain nuclear-related commitments specified in the JCPOA or required for the preparation for the implementation of the JCPOA.
The legal acts adopted by the Council translate into EU law these provisions.
The legal acts are available in the Official Journal dated 1 August. They were adopted by the Council by written procedure.
On 22 June 2015, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2015/973[1] implementing Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP.
The Decision removes one person from the list of persons and entities subject to restrictive measures as set out in Annex I to Decision 2013/255/CFSP.
The Candidate Countries the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, Montenegro*, Serbia* and Albania*, and the EFTA countries Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia align themselves with this Decision.
They will ensure that their national policies conform to this Council Decision.
The European Union takes note of this commitment and welcomes it.
[1] Published on 23.6.2015 in the Official Journal of the European Union no. L 157, p. 52.
* The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.