EU Formally Proposes Human Rights Sanctions Regime

The European Union formally announced a joint proposal for an EU-wide human rights sanctions regime, which would give member states “greater flexibility” to target human rights abuses, the European Commission said Oct. 19. The regime is expected to include asset freezes and travel bans, and give the commission oversight of the implementation of certain bans. Although the regime would include new sanctions, it would “not replace existing geographic sanctions regimes,” the commission said, some of which already target human rights violations in countries like Syria, Venezuela and Belarus.

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said a human rights regime is “long overdue.” Member states will discuss the proposal at the European Council before the EU can move forward. “We trust that the Council will demonstrate its determination to support the Commission in this objective by adopting our proposal,” von der Leyen said.