Common Foreign and Security Policy

ICE Launches Service to Help Identify and Monitor Entities and Securities Subject to Financial and Economic Sanctions Programs

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, November 7, 2023
Professional Services, Finance, Office of Foreign Assets Control, NYSE, United Nations, Intercontinental Exchange, Common Foreign and Security Policy, United Nations Security Council Resolution 1526, Security policy, United, OFAC, CFSP, UNSC, ICE, European, United Nations Security Council, Automation, Cryptocurrency

This new service leverages ICE’s extensive data offering, cross-referencing and linkage capabilities to identify securities, entities and groups targeted by sanctions programs.

Key Points: 
  • This new service leverages ICE’s extensive data offering, cross-referencing and linkage capabilities to identify securities, entities and groups targeted by sanctions programs.
  • Sanctions can target governments, companies or individuals and, for most sanction programs, consist of asset freezes, economic and financial measures and embargoes.
  • “Understanding and monitoring sanctions programs can be a complex, time-consuming process,” said Mark Heckert, Chief Product Officer at ICE Fixed Income and Data Services.
  • It provides the linkages between entities within a group and the securities issued by those entities, which can help facilitate increased automation of compliance program processes.

Press release - EU sanctions: new law to crack down on violations

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, July 6, 2023
Failure, Commission, Member of the European Parliament, Parliament, Security policy, War, Common Foreign and Security Policy, National Emergency Civil Liberties Committee, Crime, Policy, Force de dissuasion, Ownership, Legislation, Practice of law, Cryptocurrency, EU, Council

It would introduce a common definition of violations and minimum penalties to ensure that they are punished as criminal offences everywhere in the EU.

Key Points: 
  • It would introduce a common definition of violations and minimum penalties to ensure that they are punished as criminal offences everywhere in the EU.
  • EU sanctions can consist of freezing funds and assets, travel bans, arms embargoes and restrictions on business sectors, among other things.
  • According to the proposed law, violations would include not freezing funds or not respecting travel bans as required by sanctions, or doing business with state-owned entities of countries subject to sanctions.
  • The Council adopted this decision in November 2022, and the Commission put forward the proposal for harmonisation in December 2022.

Press release - EU defence: deal on joint procurement of defence products

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, June 29, 2023
SME, Foreign Affairs Committee, ECR, Contract, EPP, Commission, Member of the European Parliament, International Thorium Energy Committee, Common Security and Defence Policy, Common Foreign and Security Policy, Parliament, Security, DE, European Economic Area, Foreign Affairs Committee (Iceland), Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami v Parliament and Council, EP, Efficiency, EFTA, Policy, Research, Common, Maintenance (technical), Risk management, Arms industry, Construction, EU, Industry, Council

The new regulation, informally agreed by the two EU legislators, will establish a short-term instrument to boost the European defence industry through common procurement (EDIRPA), until 31 December 2025.

Key Points: 
  • The new regulation, informally agreed by the two EU legislators, will establish a short-term instrument to boost the European defence industry through common procurement (EDIRPA), until 31 December 2025.
  • The tool should help member states fill their most urgent and critical defence needs, especially exacerbated by their transfers of defence products to Ukraine, in a voluntary and collaborative way.
  • At least three member states are needed to activate common procurement, which will cover defence products as defined in Article 2 of Directive 2009/81/EC.
  • During the talks, MEPs obtained that member states engaging in a joint procurement may also agree to purchase defence products together with Ukraine and Moldova.

Article - How the EU is supporting Ukraine in 2023

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, February 2, 2023
Security policy, Aggression, Member of the European Parliament, Crime, Parliament, Common Foreign and Security Policy, Commission, European Parliament, MEP, Council, European, Environmental remediation, Practice of law, Risk management, EU

Check out our timeline for an overview of how the EU and the European Parliament continue to support Ukraine in 2023.

Key Points: 
  • Check out our timeline for an overview of how the EU and the European Parliament continue to support Ukraine in 2023.
  • Check out how the EU and the Parliament were supporting Ukraine in 2022.
  • EU support for Ukraine
    description: How the EU and the European Parliament continue to support Ukraine in 2023.
  • MEPs demand continued Ukraine support
    MEPs demand continued Ukraine support
    title short description: MEPs call for continued support for Ukraine in a debate with Council President Charles Michel and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Press release - MEPs call for a firmer response to Russian threats to European security

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, January 18, 2023
UN, Unanimity, Common Security and Defence Policy, Gaps, Council, Common, UN Security Council Sanctions Committee on North Korea, Treaties of the European Union, DE, United Nations Security Council, EPP, Aggression, Structure of the Common Security and Defence Policy, Policy, CSDP, Common Foreign and Security Policy, Security policy, Union, Treaty, Risk management, Fishing, Renewable energy, Petroleum, Palace of Versailles, EU, Member of the European Parliament, European

The EU’s response to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine is being closely watched by autocracies around the world and will greatly influence how they behave on the international stage, MEPs warn.

Key Points: 
  • The EU’s response to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine is being closely watched by autocracies around the world and will greatly influence how they behave on the international stage, MEPs warn.
  • Reduce EU’s dependence on energy resources
    The security of the EU is closely linked to accelerating the enlargement process, while respecting accession criteria and reforming the EU’s neighbourhood policy, MEPs argue.
  • Member states should continue developing the EU’s cyber-defence policy and capabilities, MEPs add, and establish security and defence partnerships with like-minded partners worldwide.
  • The rapporteur on Common Security and Defence Policy, Tom Vandenkendelaere (EPP, BE) said: “European security has dramatically deteriorated due to Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain countries concerning restrictive measures against serious human rights violations and abuses

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Saturday, May 1, 2021
Politics of the European Union, Organizations, Countries, Foreign relations of the European Union, Trade blocs, European Economic Area, Multi-speed Europe, Withdrawal from the European Union, European Free Trade Association, Common Foreign and Security Policy, European Union, North Macedonia

On 22 March 2021 the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2021/4811, amending Council Decision 2020/1999.

Key Points: 
  • On 22 March 2021 the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2021/4811, amending Council Decision 2020/1999.
  • The Council Decision adds 11 persons and 4 entities to the EU sanctions list of natural and legal persons, entities and bodies subject to restrictive measures set out in the Annex to Decision (CFSP) 2020/1999.
  • The Candidate Countries the Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania2 and the EFTA countries Iceland and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, align themselves with this Council Decision.
  • L 99 I/25

    2 The Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.

Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain third countries concerning restrictive measures against Myanmar/Burma

Retrieved on: 
Saturday, April 24, 2021
Common Foreign and Security Policy

On 22 March 2021 the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2021/4831 concerning restrictive measures against Myanmar/Burma.

Key Points: 
  • On 22 March 2021 the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2021/4831 concerning restrictive measures against Myanmar/Burma.
  • The Council added 11 persons to the list of natural and legal persons, entities and bodies subject to restrictive measures in the Annex to Decision 2013/184/CFSP.
  • They will ensure that their national policies conform to this Council Decision.
  • L 99, p.40.2 The Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.

Press release - MEPs criticise visit of EU foreign policy chief to Moscow

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, February 10, 2021
Politics of the European Union, Foreign relations of the European Union, Organizations, Sergey Lavrov, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, Common Foreign and Security Policy, Nord Stream, European Union, Borrell

In a debate on Tuesday afternoon with EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell on the current situation in Russia, some MEPs defended the purpose of his visit, whilst many condemned the trip to Moscow.

Key Points: 
  • In a debate on Tuesday afternoon with EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell on the current situation in Russia, some MEPs defended the purpose of his visit, whilst many condemned the trip to Moscow.
  • Mr Borrell said in his opening statement that he went to Moscow to see, through principled diplomacy, whether the Russian government was interested in addressing differences and reversing the negative developments in EU-Russia relations.
  • They also strongly criticised the behaviour and attitude of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov towards the EU and Josep Borrell during their meetings and press conference, which served to undermine the EU.
  • Some denounced certain EU capitals for not responding appropriately to the deterioration of EU-Russia relations, for instance by stopping the Nord Stream II pipeline.

Fight against terrorism: Council renews the EU terrorist list for a further six months

Retrieved on: 
Saturday, February 6, 2021
Al-Qaeda, Taliban, Common Foreign and Security Policy, Counter-terrorism, Terrorism, International relations, International security, United Nations Security Council Resolution

The Council today renewed the so-calledEU terrorist list, which sets outpersons,groupsandentitiessubject to restrictive measures with a viewtocombating terrorism.

Key Points: 
  • The Council today renewed the so-calledEU terrorist list, which sets outpersons,groupsandentitiessubject to restrictive measures with a viewtocombating terrorism.
  • The 14 persons and 21 groups and entities on the list aresubject tothefreezing of their fundsand other financial assets in the EU.
  • The Council is empowered to establish an EU list and impose related restrictive measures under Council Common Position 2001/931/CFSP, and Council Regulation (EC) No 2580/2001.
  • The Council first set up the list as implementation of UNSC Resolution 1373/2001 that followed the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001.

Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain countries concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Burundi

Retrieved on: 
Friday, January 29, 2021
Countries, Common Foreign and Security Policy, North Macedonia, Stabilisation and Association Process, Europe

The Council Decision extends the existing restrictive measures until 31 October 2021.

Key Points: 
  • The Council Decision extends the existing restrictive measures until 31 October 2021.
  • The Council reviewed the individual designations set out in the Annex to Decision (CFSP) 2015/1763, and amended the information concerning two natural persons.
  • [1] Published on 30.10.2020 in the Official Journal of the European Union no.
  • [2] The Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.