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4. Paragraphs 1 and 1a shall not apply in the case of a vessel in need of assistance seeking a place of refuge, of an emergency port call for reasons of maritime safety, or for saving life at sea.

5. By way of derogation from paragraphs 1 and 1a, the competent authorities may authorise a vessel to access a port or lock, under such conditions as they deem appropriate, after having determined that the access is necessary for:

(a) unless prohibited under Article 3m or 3n, the purchase, import or transport into the Union of natural gas and oil, including refined petroleum products, titanium, aluminium, copper, nickel, palladium and iron ore, as well as certain chemical and iron products as listed in Annex XXIV;

(b) the purchase, import or transport of pharmaceutical, medical, agricultural and food products, including wheat and fertilisers whose import, purchase and transport is allowed under this Regulation;

(c) humanitarian purposes; or (d) transport of nuclear fuel and other goods strictly necessary for the functioning of civil nuclear capabilities.

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5a. By way of derogation from paragraph 2, the competent authorities may authorise vessels that have changed their Russian flag or their registration, to the flag or register of any other State prior to 16 April 2022, to access a port or a lock, under such conditions as they deem appropriate, after having determined that:

(a) a Russian flag or registration was required by contract; and (b) the access is necessary for the unloading of goods strictly necessary for the completion of renewable energy projects in the Union, provided that the import of such goods is not otherwise prohibited under this Regulation.

5b. By way of derogation from paragraph 2, the competent authorities may authorise, under such conditions as they deem appropriate, a vessel to access a port or lock provided that it:

(a) has flown the Russian Federation flag under a bareboat charter registration initially effected prior to 24 February 2022;

(b) has resumed its right to fly the flag of the underlying Member State registry before 31 January 2023; and (c) is not owned, chartered, operated or otherwise controlled by a Russian national or any legal person, entity or body incorporated or constituted under the law of the Russian Federation.

5c. By way of derogation from paragraph 2, the competent authorities may authorise vessels that have changed their Russian flag to the flag of any other State prior to 16 April 2022, to access a port or a lock, under such conditions as they deem appropriate, after having determined that the vessel:

(a) was declared abandoned under the law of a Member State prior to 24 February 2022;

(b) was subject to a forced sale by the competent national authorities of a Member State prior to 24 February 2022; and (c) was physically located in the territory of a Member State at the time of the forced sale.

6. The Member State concerned shall inform the other Member States and the Commission of any authorisation granted under paragraphs 5, 5a, 5b and 5c within two weeks of the authorisation.

1. It shall be prohibited to provide access, after 16 April 2022, to ports and, after 29 July 2022, to locks in the territory of the Union to any vessel registered under the flag of Russia, and for such vessels to access ports and locks, with the exception of access to locks for the purpose of leaving the territory of the Union.

1a. The prohibition in paragraph 1 shall also apply, after 8 April 2023, to any vessel certified by the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping.

2. Paragraph 1 shall apply to vessels that have changed their Russian flag or their registration, to the flag or register of any other State after 24 February 2022.

3. For the purposes of this Article, with the exception of paragraph 1a, a ‘vessel’ means:

(a) a ship falling within the scope of the relevant international conventions, including replicas of historical ships;

(b) a yacht, of 15 metres in length or more, which does not carry cargo and carrying no more than 12 passengers; or (c) recreational craft or personal watercraft as defined in Directive 2013/53/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council ().