European authorities have reached political agreement on two new initiatives which come in the context of the ‘Freeze and Seize’ Task Force, set up by the Commission in March 2022, and which will contribute to the enforcement of EU sanctions. The measure include the harmonisation of criminal offences and penalties for the violation of EU sanctions, and a new Directive to bolster the EU’s powers of asset recovery and confiscation. Harmonisation of criminal offences for…
The EU has published an update to its list of goods regarded as “economically critical” to Russia. Amongst these are hydraulic power engines and motors, concrete or mortar mixers, and machinery for public works. The amended list can be found here.
On 23 October, the European Council adopted a new framework for restrictive measures against Niger which seek to “sanction those who undermine the stability, democracy, rule of law in Niger, and constitute a threat to peace and security in the region” in response to the July 2023 military coup in Niger. The sanctions consist of asset freezes, and the related prohibition to make funds available to targeted individuals and entities, as well as travel bans…
This week in our Sanctions Enforcement Around the World series, we bring you the view from the Czech Republic. What are the recent sanctions enforcement trends in the Czech Republic? While historically the Czech Republic has had legal tools to enforce the international sanctions, the actual enforcement activities of the Czech authorities were rather limited in the past. In reaction to the EU and subsequently also national sanctions targeting Russia and Belarus, the Czech Republic…