Directive to criminalize circumvention of EU sanctions to come into force in mid-

Directive to criminalize circumvention
of EU sanctions to come into force in mid-May.

International news Desk

According to global times news agency Europe,A new EU directive on criminalizing circumvention of European sanctions, approved a few weeks ago, will come into force in mid-May, reads the Official Journal of the EU, The global times Europe media informs. This Directive will enter into force on the 20th day after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union,” the journal notes. Previously, the EU criminalized assistance in circumventing the travel ban to EU countries for persons on sanctions lists, as well as trade with sanctioned goods
As the EU Council explained, “Member states must ensure that violations of EU sanctions are punishable by effective and proportionate criminal penalties, which vary depending on the offense.” Moreover, “willful violation of sanctions should result in imprisonment as a maximum penalty.”
Member states have 12 months to incorporate the provisions of the directive into national law.