EU sanctions against Russia remain a necessary and effective instrument of pressure, but their impact is weakened by uneven enforcement and the fact that proven violations too rarely lead to full criminal proceedings. To close loopholes, responsibility should extend across the full chain of sanctions evasion — from intermediaries to financial and logistics actors.
This was stated in an interview with Guildhall by Tobias Winkler, a member of the German Bundestag from the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, who sits on the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on European Union Affairs.
— Do you agree with the assessment that the main weakness in the EU’s sanctions enforcement lies in uneven implementation and weak criminal follow-up?
— The EU sanctions against Russia are, in principle, the right and necessary response, and they do have a huge impact on the Russian economy. At the same time, enforcement remains uneven across Member States and beyond. The fact that proven violations too rarely lead to full criminal proceedings is a common issue in international sanctions regimes. Nevertheless, the deterrent effect should not be underestimated.
— In your view, what should be changed to ensure that every established case of sanctions violation leads to criminal proceedings and real punishment for those responsible?
— From the very moment international sanctions are enacted, a race for creative circumvention begins. We need more consistency and determination in enforcement. This includes strengthening national authorities, improving coordination, and making full use of the new European framework that criminalises sanctions violations.
— Should such liability extend across the full chain of individuals and companies involved?
— From my perspective, responsibility should cover the entire chain where actors knew or should have known that they were involved in circumventing sanctions. This includes financial institutions, intermediaries, logistics providers and others. Only a comprehensive approach will close loopholes and prevent circumvention structures from functioning.
— Could expanding the powers of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office form part of the solution?
— There are many ideas to tackle cross-border cases. Strengthening European-level coordination can improve effectiveness. At the same time, it must go hand in hand with strong international enforcement.
— Is there anything else you would underline in this discussion?
— Overall, it is important to underline that further strengthening EU sanctions policy also depends on political unity among Member States. Nevertheless, I remain confident that the EU will continue to improve both the sanctions regime and its enforcement.
Exclusive to Guildhall News Agency.
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