EU
European Commission finally delivers its proposal for a global Magnitsky Act for Europe
Today (20 October) European Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič announced that the European Commission was finally able to put forward a joint proposal for a Council Regulation concerning implementation of restrictive measures sanctions against serious human rights violation and abuses worldwide, a so-called Magnitsky Act for Europe.
EU High Representative Josep Borrell initially launched its preparatory work on this on 9 December 2019, the work was openly based on equivalent legislation in the United States. Similar legislation has been adopted in the UK, Canada and the Baltic states.
The European Parliament has been a staunch supporter of a European Magnitsky Act for some time, adopting a resolution in March 2019. The news was also welcomed by the Netherlands, which was a prominent supporter of the initiative.
Good news that @vonderleyen, @JosepBorrellF & @EU_Commission submitted to the EU Member States the legal acts for an EU Global Human Rights Sanction Regime. NL has been actively advocating for this since 2018.
NL will continue to work for a final agreement in the near future. https://t.co/PmZvbt4du3
— Stef Blok (@ministerBlok) October 19, 2020
The proposal differs from the existing EU geographically limited sanctions regimes, the advantages of the Magnitsky approach is that it can target individual human rights violators globally, unrelated to the political context and intergovernmental developments and could be applied to non-state actors.
Share this article:
EU Reporter publishes articles from a variety of outside sources which express a wide range of viewpoints. The positions taken in these articles are not necessarily those of EU Reporter. Please see EU Reporter’s full Terms and Conditions of publication for more information EU Reporter embraces artificial intelligence as a tool to enhance journalistic quality, efficiency, and accessibility, while maintaining strict human editorial oversight, ethical standards, and transparency in all AI-assisted content. Please see EU Reporter’s full A.I. Policy for more information.
Why China and Russia did not come to the aid of Iran? Yes, they did!
Lebanon, Hezbollah and the price of caution
Why right-wing populism remains popular 10 years post-Brexit
Going down a treat...that's top chef Dev Biswal
Improving energy efficiency of buildings to reduce bills and save energy
DG Translation in a city near you: June events
Stepping out...to get the UK back in European Union
Europe's broken promise, 300 million times over
Commission welcomes political agreement on the Return Regulation
Commission issues opinions on temporary internal border controls in Schengen Area
EU and Moldova strengthen cooperation on jobs, skills and social rights
EU agri-food trade surplus expands in February 2026
Commission disburses €7.2 billion to Poland under NextGenerationEU
Africa CDC urges protection for Ebola aid workers
High-speed drama shatters Monaco’s tranquil façade
Mobile liver testing rolls into Brussels
Kazakhstan reforms under scrutiny at Brussels Press Club round table
Japan should face up to history and contribute more to regional peace
Ambassador calls for 'speeding up' of co-operation between EU and Kazakhstan
Timur Turlov at Smart Moves Summit 2025: How chess can transform global education
Shevtsova’s case: Out-of-court sanctions dismantling trust in Ukrainian cause
The future of European transport
Trump Vs Trueman
