THE PARLIAMENT MAGAZINE: European Commission must take measures to strengthen EU Magnitsky Act, say senior MEPs
EU should extend the scope of its Global Human Rights sanctions regime and give the European Parliament a stronger supervisory role, say David McAllister and Maria Arena.
In December 2020, the European Union adopted its own ‘Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime’ (GHRSR). This instrument allows the EU to impose targeted sanctions against individuals and entities that are involved in grave human rights violations around the world.
It is an essential addition to our human rights and foreign policy toolbox, which strengthens the EU’s role as a global human rights actor.
For a long time, the European Parliament had been calling for such an EU-wide mechanism. On 7 June, MEPs adopted a resolution to take stock of how the GHRSR – also called the ‘EU Magnitsky Act’- has been applied so far.
Generally, we welcome the adoption of the sanctions regime as it adds a direct and tangible way to respond to serious human rights violations and to hold those responsible for abuses accountable.
To date, 19 individuals and entities – from China, Russia, North Korea, Libya, South Sudan and Eritrea – have been sanctioned. This shows that the EU stands up for its values and acts.
In the future, the Parliament expects an efficient and consistent use of the sanctions regime. However, the legislation needs to reflect new challenges and threats to human rights violations.
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