EU lays ground for lifting Iran sanctions by publishing legal acts
By Robin Emmott BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union on Sunday published legal acts that open the way for the bloc to lift sanctions if Tehran meets the conditions tied to a landmark nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers. The legal acts have no immediate effect but cement a process agreed between six world powers and Iran in July to lift sanctions in return for Iran accepting curbs on a nuclear program that the West suspected was aimed at creating a nuclear bomb. Tehran has always denied seeking nuclear arms. "The EU today adopted the legislative framework for lifting all of its nuclear-related economic and financial sanctions," EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said in a joint statement. "It will take effect on Implementation Day, simultaneously with the IAEA-verified implementation of agreed nuclear measures by Iran," the statement said, referring to targets that must be verified by the U.N. atomic agency's inspectors and were set out in the agreement between Iran and the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China. The United Nations endorsed the agreement on July 20. Germany's foreign minister said sanctions against Iran were likely to remain in place until at least January as world powers wait to see whether Tehran sticks to its commitments under the deal. The legal acts mean that, as soon as Iran implements the terms of the deal, the sanctions can be lifted without changes to what has already been agreed. "Implementation can be expected to take place at the end of the year or the beginning of next year, but of course only once the IAEA has given the green light," the diplomat said, referring to the International Atomic Energy Agency. The final decision to lift sanctions, based on the IAEA's go-ahead, is likely to be made by a council of European ministers. Last week, the U.N. nuclear watchdog said Iran had given it the information it needed to assess whether Tehran's past activities had anything to do with nuclear weapons, a condition that was part of the deal. On Monday, political directors of the six world powers and Iran, as well as the European Union, will hold a first meeting to monitor implementation of Iran's commitments. A range of restrictions have been imposed on Iran over several decades, dating back to 1979, when Iranian students stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. Oil-related sanctions were imposed by the United States and the European Union in 2012. Sanctions linked to accusations that Iran commits human rights abuses will remain in place. A United Nations embargo on conventional weapons will be lifted in five years' time, and a U.N. embargo on ballistic missiles in eight. (Reporting by Robin Emmott; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
