Brussels intends to fight against the circumvention of EU sanctions

EU commissioners in Brussels, November 9, 2022 (photo illustration).

AFP - VALERIA MONGELLI

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

The European sanctions issued against Russia since the invasion of Ukraine have been the subject of numerous circumventions.

This has been a subject of concern for the European Union for several months, because these circumventions obviously reduce the effectiveness of these sanctions.

Advertising

Read more

With our correspondent in Brussels,

The measure will apply to all types of European sanctions, from Iran to Burma via Venezuela or Somalia.

But it is obviously first of all Russia that is in the crosshairs.

On the eve of the invasion, the EU issued sanctions following the recognition of the separatist republics of Donetsk and Lugansk.

We are now at eight successive sets of sanctions, half of which already included measures intended to fill the loopholes of the previous ones.

But European sanctions could of course only hit those against whom they were intended.

Now, if other countries circumvent EU sanctions, they will fall under a criminal offense in the eyes of the EU.

The most frequently cited example is that of Turkey, accused of shipping Russian oil to Europe.

This is for the moment a decision of principle, because the EU institutions must now establish a list of sanctions which will have to be applied to offenders.

Above all, there must be a common rule on what constitutes circumvention of sanctions, because the Twenty-Seven capitals currently have a different definition.

►Read again: The European Union adopts new sanctions against Russia

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

• European Union

• Russia

• Economy