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Sanctions: EU Commission publishes consolidated list of travel bans

May 12, 2022 , ,

Brussels, 11 May 2022

The European Commission has today published a consolidated list of travel bans in its EU Sanctions Map tool. This will allow our citizens to see who is subject to a travel ban under our sanctions measures, and therefore are prevented from travelling to the EU. This Sanctions Tool is available to Member State authorities as well as EU citizens. The aim of the EU Sanctions Map is to provide easily accessible information about adopted EU restrictive measures (sanctions). The information on the EU Sanctions Map is updated after any amendments to existing sanctions regimes or imposition of a new sanctions regime have come into force.

High Representative / Vice-President Josep Borrell, responsible for Common Foreign and Security Policy sanctions said:

“Travel bans are an integral element of our foreign policy toolbox and an important feature of most EU sanctions regimes. Since 2014, the Council has imposed travel bans against 1,091 individuals in response to their actions violating Ukraine’s sovereignty. Since the start of the illegal Russian aggression in Ukraine this year, approximately 900 travel bans restricting entry into the territory of the EU have been imposed against individuals who support and facilitate that aggression.”

Commissioner Mairead McGuinness, responsible for sanctions implementation, financial services, financial stability and Capital Markets Union said:

“It is important that there is full transparency on this issue and for our citizens to know which individuals are subject to travel bans. This includes those who are implicated, in one way or another, in Russia’s unjustified aggression against the people of Ukraine. We have now updated our publicly accessible tool, which helps facilitate the implementation of our sanctions. Our Sanctions Map is one more way of shedding light on those responsible.” 

More information here. 

 

Overview of sanctions and related tools

An essential tool through which the EU can intervene where necessary to prevent conflict or respond to emerging or current crises

PAGE CONTENTS

Restrictive measures (sanctions) are an essential tool in the EU’s common foreign and security policy (CFSP), through which the EU can intervene where necessary to prevent conflict or respond to emerging or current crises. In spite of their colloquial name ‘sanctions’, EU restrictive measures are not punitive. They are intended to bring about a change in policy or activity by targeting non-EU countries, as well as entities and individuals, responsible for the malign behaviour at stake.

The EU has over forty different sanctions regimes in place. Some are mandated by the United Nations Security Council, whereas others are adopted autonomously by the EU.

Decisions on the adoption, renewal, or lifting of sanctions regimes are taken by the Council of the European Union, on the basis of proposals from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The European Commission, together with the High Representative, give effect to these decisions into EU law through joint proposals for Council regulations, also adopted by the Council. In addition, in its role as guardian of the treaties the Commission has an essential role in overseeing sanctions implementation by Member States.

Objectives

The EU applies sanctions to implement UN Security Council Resolutions or to further the objectives of the CFSP, namely

  • promoting international peace and security
  • preventing conflicts
  • supporting democracy, the rule of law and human rights and
  • defending the principles of international law
Types of measures

EU sanctions may target governments of non-EU countries, as well as companies, groups, organisations, or individuals through the following measures

  • arms embargoes
  • restrictions on admission (travel bans)
  • asset freezes
  • other economic measures such as restrictions on imports and exports

EU sanctions are carefully targeted, and designed to be proportionate to the objectives they seek to achieve. As such, they are aimed at those responsible for the policies or actions the EU wants to influence, while reducing as much as possible any unintended consequences.

Where do EU sanctions apply?

While EU sanctions inherently have an effect in non-EU countries, as they are a foreign policy tool, the measures apply only within EU jurisdiction. In other words, the obligations they impose are binding on EU nationals or persons located in the EU or doing business here.

The task of conducting investigations into potential non-compliance cases falls to the Member States and their national competent authorities. Member States must have in place effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties, and enforce them when EU sanctions are breached.

The role of the European Commission

The Directorate-General for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union (DG FISMA) prepares proposals for Regulations on sanctions for adoption by the Council of the European Union, and represents the European Commission in sanctions-related discussions with Member States at the Council Working Party of Foreign Relations Counsellors. DG FISMA is also responsible for transposing into EU law certain United Nations sanctions.

DG FISMA is also in charge of monitoring, on behalf of the European Commission, the implementation and enforcement of EU sanctions across Member States. DG FISMA is increasingly supporting Member States in their efforts to apply sanctions, by answering questions of interpretation raised by national competent authorities, as well as economic and humanitarian operators.

DG FISMA is dedicating increasing efforts to strengthening the application of EU sanctions even further, and to enhancing the resilience of the EU to extra-territorial sanctions adopted by third countries. This is reflected in the mission letter of Commissioner Mairead McGuinness and in the Commission’s Work Programme 2020, as part of the financial sovereignty initiative (see also the EU Blocking Statute).

EU sanctions map

The EU sanctions map provides comprehensive details of all EU sanctions regimes and their corresponding legal acts, including those regimes adopted by the UN Security Council and transposed at EU level.

EU sanctions whistleblower tool

Sharing of information about EU sanctions violations can contribute to the success of ongoing investigations in EU Member States and increase the effectiveness of EU sanctions.

If you are aware of possible violations of any EU sanctions, you can bring this to the Commission’s attention by voluntarily providing information. This information can relate, for example, to facts concerning sanctions violations, their circumstances and the individuals, companies and third countries involved. These can be facts that are not publicly known but are known to you and can cover past, ongoing or planned sanctions violations, as well as attempts to circumvent EU sanctions.

There are two ways you can report sanctions violations:

  • Contact us directly: you can help us best if you come forward and provide your name and contact details, since this will give your statement more credibility and make it more likely that we are able to take action.
    To report sanctions violations this way you can simply send an email to relex-sanctions@ec.europa.eu
  • Remain anonymous: if you do not want to reveal your identity you can send us an anonymous message through the EU sanctions whistleblower tool, which is a highly secure online platform. The European Commission, who manages the tool, is fully committed to protecting your anonymity.To access the tool, learn how your anonymity is protected, and report a sanctions violation, please copy paste or manually re-type the following URL for security reasons: https://EUsanctions.integrityline.com in your browser.
EU sanctions tool

The EU sanctions tool aims to help EU companies in determining whether EU sanctions apply to their exports, imports and business with Iran. By providing an easy-to-use compliance assessment, the tool is designed as a first point of reference for EU companies at an early stage of their business engagement in Iran.

EU-level contact point for humanitarian aid

The EU-level contact point for humanitarian aid in environments subject to EU sanctions is a dedicated channel aimed at providing practical information to humanitarian operators on requesting humanitarian derogations under EU sanctions. By helping to identify the relevant competent authorities of the Member States concerned and providing preliminary replies to general queries relating to requests for humanitarian derogations, the contact point aims to facilitate the task of humanitarian operators acting in sanctioned environments in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and to provide practical support to comply with EU sanctions.

Factsheet summarising the most common rules and procedures that are in place in the Member States to grant authorisations for humanitarian derogation under EU sanctions

See the factsheet

Due diligence helpdesk

The Due diligence helpdesk, also designed for EU SMEs interested in trade with Iran, provides tailor-made support by carrying out due diligence checks on EU sanctions compliance for specific business projects.

Financial sanctions: Consolidated list

The consolidated list of persons, groups and entities subject to EU financial sanctions, which DG FISMA manages and updates whenever necessary, reflects the officially adopted texts published in the Official Journal of the EU. You can also download a PDF version of the consolidated list of financial sanctions.

Sanctions adopted following Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine

In reaction to Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine the European Union adopted sanctions against Russia.

List of adopted financial sanctions

Frequently asked questions on sanctions against Russia

National competent authorities for sanctions implementation

Member States are responsible for the implementation and enforcement of EU sanctions, as well as identifying breaches and imposing penalties. The Commission monitors the correct and uniform implementation of EU sanctions and provides guidance to Member States.

The contact details of the relevant competent authorities of the Member States can be found in the document below.

 

National competent authorities for the implementation of EU restrictive measures (sanctions)

04 May 2022
English (754.1 KB – PDF)

DownloadPDF – 754.1 KB

Guidance on the implementation of EU sanctions

2022

16 March 2022
26 February 2022

2021

13 August 2021
8 June 2021
2 June 2021
27 May 2021
11 May 2021

2020

17 December 2020
16 November 2020
  • Guidance note on the provision of humanitarian aid to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in certain environments subject to EU sanctions (Iran, Nicaragua, Syria, Venezuela)
    This guidance note has been replaced by the guidance note of 13 August 2021
  • Press release
9 October 2020
  • Guidance note on the provision of humanitarian aid to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in certain environments subject to EU sanctions (Iran, Syria, Venezuela)
    This guidance note has been replaced by the guidance note of 13 August 2021
  • Statement
19 June 2020
3 June 2020
11 May 2020

2019

8 November 2019
17 October 2019
29 August 2019
5 August 2019
4 July 2019
4 July 2019
7 June 2019
31 January 2019

2018

25 January 2018

2017

25 August 2017
1 September 2017
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