BRUSSELS, March 12. /TASS/. The European Union has published its decision to extend for another six months, to September 15, terms of the blacklist for 146 citizens of Russia and self-proclaimed republics in Ukraine’s east and 37 entities. The decision is published in the EU Official Journal.

"The Council of the European Union has decided that the persons and entities … should continue to be included in the list of persons and entities subject to restrictive measures … in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine," reads the Notice published in the Official Journal.

The earlier political decision on extending the "blacklist" for six months was made on September 2, 2015, at the COREPER session (Committee of Permanent Representatives in the European Union). The "blacklist" includes Russian officials, politicians, businessmen and law enforcers, as well as practically all officials of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk republics.

All of them are banned from entering the European Union. Their assets, should any be identified in the European banks, are liable to a freeze. Also, on the same list there are 37 entities, including all known military and political agencies of the Donetsk and Lugansk republics. The European businesses are not allowed to have any contacts with them.

Moscow has repeatedly said that the Western sanctions introduced over the conflict in Ukraine are counter-productive. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov earlier said "the fanning of confrontation and attempts at sanction pressures on Russia are a dead end".