BRUSSELS, July 28. /TASS/. The European Commission (EC) aims to adopt its 22nd package of sanctions against Russia in October, blacklisting an additional 1,600 companies to compensate for its heavily watered-down 21st package, Bloomberg reported, citing anonymous sources in Brussels.

The agency noted that no confirmation could be obtained from either the European Commission or the EU's diplomatic service. It also remains unclear whether the new measures will target only Russian and Belarusian corporate entities or firms worldwide.

If approved, the decision would expand the existing anti-Russian blacklist by 50% in one go. The list currently includes around 3,100 companies and individuals globally, already making it a record-breaker in the European Union's sanctions history.

Bloomberg acknowledges that this proposal "will land in a difficult climate", following some EU member states effectively stripping the 21st package of a ban on transshipping Russian LNG to third countries. In the meantime, "other nations successfully killed potential import bans on some Russian fish, such as cod and pollock," the agency says.