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1. By way of derogation from Article 2, the competent authorities of a Member State may authorise the release of certain frozen funds or economic resources belonging to the entities listed under entry numbers 53, 54, 55, 79, 80, 81, 82, 108, 126, 127, 198, 199, 200, 214, 215 and 270 under the heading ‘Entities’ in Annex I, or the making available of certain funds or economic resources to those entities, under such conditions as the competent authorities deem appropriate and after having determined that such funds or economic resources are necessary for the purchase, import or transport of agricultural and food products, including wheat and fertilisers.

1a. By way of derogation from Article 2, the competent authorities of a Member State, based on a specific and case-by-case assessment, may authorise, for each relevant transaction separately, the release of certain frozen funds or economic resources belonging to natural persons listed in Annex I who held a significant role in international trade in agricultural and food products, including wheat and fertilisers, prior to their listing, or the making available of certain funds or economic resources to those persons, under such conditions as the competent authorities deem appropriate and after having determined that such funds or resources are necessary for the sale, supply, transfer or export of agricultural and food products, including wheat and fertilisers, to third countries in order to address food security.

2. The Member State concerned shall, when authorising such operations, act in close cooperation with the Commission. It shall inform the other Member States of any authorisation granted under paragraphs 1 and 1a, within two weeks of the authorisation.

3. The Commission shall report to the Council, no later than 17 June 2023 and every six months thereafter, a compilation of the information received from the Member States in relation to the derogation in paragraph 1a.