LTTE remains banned in EU even as European court lifts it on technical grounds

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam or LTTE remains banned in the European Union even as the European Court of Justice ordered the lifting of the ban.

PK Balachandran, Sri Lanka Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 27 July 2017, 04:31 AM
Updated : 27 July 2017, 04:31 AM

The EU said in a statement on Wednesday, that the judgment is a “legal ruling on the procedure used for listing the LTTE and does not involve any assessment of the substantive reasons for the designation of the LTTE as a terrorist organisation.”

“The European Union continues to consider the LTTE as a terrorist organisation and the EU's restrictive measures against the LTTE remain in force,” it added.

Explaining the technical reason for the continuation of the ban, the EU said the “annulled measures covered the period 2011-2015.

Designations of the LTTE adopted by the Council later in 2015-2017 were not covered by the present ruling.”

“This means that the LTTE remains listed as a terrorist organisation by the EU,” the statement asserted.

However, it added that the EU will study the judgment and “remedial action will be taken to adjust the listings to these procedural requirements and to ensure legally robust designations”.