From May 19, new EU rules come into force, which are criminally responsible for breaching the EU sanctions.
Changes to EU legislation agree on liability for violation of sanctions and provide investigation and prosecution in all Member States. Updates include a list of criminal offenses, such as assets, violations of the ban on entry or supply of weapons or other goods and services that under sanctions, transfer of funds to third parties that should be frozen, as well as providing false information to avoid freezing assets.
These rules set joint punishment standards for individuals and legal entities in all Member States in order to eliminate legal gaps and strengthen the restraint effect. It is also envisaged to strengthen the rules for freezing and compensation of assets under sanctions and increasing coordination between the relevant authorities within and between the Member States.
These changes were made in April 2024, and Member States should be introduced into national legislation by May 20, 2025.
It should be reminded that a discussion of the 14th package of sanctions against Russia in connection with armed aggression against Ukraine has been started in the European Union. France and the Netherlands have put forward the idea of sanctions against financial institutions around the world that help Russia to carry out financial transactions to pay for goods, components or technologies used in the military-industrial complex.
