Radoslav Sikorskyi. Photo: The Last Bastion
EU Has Legal Leverage but Struggles to Enforce Sanctions
During the annual Yalta European Strategy (YES) meeting, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski voiced concerns about the European Union’s inability to enforce its own sanctions against Russia.
Sikorski stated that the EU possesses legal tools to impose sanctions on companies conducting euro-denominated transactions involving sanctioned goods with Russia. However, despite this legal capacity, the EU lacks effective mechanisms to ensure compliance. “We have no ability to ensure the enforcement of these sanctions,” he emphasized.
Comparison with the US: EU Lacks Resources
Sikorski pointed to the United States as an example, where hundreds of specialists track suspicious trade operations. In contrast, Brussels lacks both the personnel and the financial resources necessary for such monitoring. “In Brussels, there is neither the staff nor the funding for this,” he added. This shortfall raises doubts about the EU’s ability to effectively combat shadow trade and sanction evasion.This is reported by eurointegration.
Sanctions Evasion Becomes Systemic: New Challenges for the EU
Sikorski’s remarks come amid growing concerns over loopholes that allow some countries to continue trading with Russia via third parties. Josep Borrell, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, previously raised the issue of some EU member states exporting goods to nations near Russia, facilitating the circumvention of sanctions.
Recently, Reuters reported that despite sanctions, Russia continues to receive substantial amounts of cash, with billions of dollars and euros still flowing into the country. Furthermore, Slovak exports to Russia-friendly countries have doubled since the onset of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. These developments underscore the urgent need for stricter oversight of sanctions enforcement.
