Executive Order 13088: Blocking Property of the Governments of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro), the Republic of Serbia, and the Republic of Montenegro, and Prohibiting New Investment in the Republic of Serbia in Response to the Situation in Kosovo
President: Bill Clinton
Blocked specified Yugoslav, Serbian and Montenegrin government property and barred new US investment in Serbia during the Kosovo crisis.
Status: Revoked — by EO 13304 in 2003.
Is Executive Order 13088 still in effect? No. EO 13304 revoked it in 2003.
What does Executive Order 13088 do?
EO 13088 declared a national emergency over the Kosovo situation. It blocked property of the named governments within US jurisdiction and prohibited new investment by US persons in Serbia, subject to stated exceptions and Treasury licenses. Later orders changed the measures, and EO 13304 revoked EO 13088 effective May 29, 2003. It preserved restrictions on certain property already blocked under EO 13088 and EO 12808, so revocation did not automatically release every frozen asset.
Before and after
Before the order
The 1998 Kosovo crisis prompted the president to declare an International Emergency Economic Powers Act emergency.
After the order
Treasury administered the blocking and investment restrictions, subject to licenses and exceptions.
EO 13304 revoked this order but preserved restrictions on certain previously blocked property under the new authority.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| US persons | Avoid covered government-property dealings and new investment in Serbia | While the 1998 order applied |
| Treasury | Issue licenses and implement restrictions | While the 1998 order applied |
What happened next
EO 13088 signed; restrictions began the following day.
EO 13304 took effect, revoking EO 13088 while preserving specified earlier property blocks.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
The original order relied on IEEPA and the National Emergencies Act. EO 13304 ended this order’s prospective restrictions but maintained prohibitions involving certain property already blocked under EO 13088 or EO 12808; pending proceedings and accrued liabilities were also preserved.
Sources by type
If a source is unavailable, first check the cited publisher or another official repository. The cited publisher remains the authority.
Primary and official sources
Orders, laws, court records and official implementation material.
- GovInfo — EO 13088 (opens in a new tab) Order text
- National Archives — 1998 disposition (opens in a new tab) Official record
- GovInfo — EO 13304 (opens in a new tab) Order text
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on October 1, 2026. How we research →