MEPs are set to adopt two new laws to improve the enforcement of EU sanctions, and to strengthen the rules on finding and confiscating criminal assets. Following a debate on Monday, Parliament will take a final vote on Tuesday on a directive, already agreed with the Council, introducing a common definition for EU sanctions violations and minimum penalties. Sophie IN 'T VELD (Renew, NL), rapporteur, holds a press conference after the vote. This transcription is the result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Strasbourg

press conference

fight against organised crime, corruption and money laundering (T)

IN 'T VELD, Sophia (Renew, NL)

Press conference by Sophie IN 'T VELD (Renew, NL), rapporteur, on criminalising the violations of EU sanctions

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/75322380/1710152404178_I254352Chapters%5BSD-EN%5D.srt

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sophia IN 'T VELD (Renew, NL), Rapporteur, The European Union, for decades now, has regularly adopted sanctions and most recently, of course, sanctions on persons and entities in relation to the Russian regime. I believe we have the 13th package of sanctions, by now. But we see that violation and circumvention of these sanctions, is also increasing. And the sanctions are adopted at European level, but they are then enforced at national level.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sophia IN 'T VELD (Renew, NL), Rapporteur, There are considerable differences in the way that member states enforce, or rather implement, the rules. Not just in terms of differences in legislation, like, for example, in some countries it's a criminal offence, and in another country it's not. But also in the ambition with which they apply the rules. Some are a little more strict than others. Because not not all governments may be equally committed to strict enforcement.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sophia IN 'T VELD (Renew, NL), Rapporteur, Therefore, in December 2022, the Commission proposed to have minimum standards in the entire European Union and to agree on the criminalisation of the violation of union restrictive measures, as the sanctions are officially called. With rules for maximum prison sentences and fines. So, we worked, rather fast on this file. We, we had an agreement, back in December. However, there were considerable differences in approach between the two institutions.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sophia IN 'T VELD (Renew, NL), Rapporteur, We all agreed on the principle of criminalising the circumvention or violation of sanctions, but the European Parliament was much more ambitious in seeking harmonisation and, reforming the enforcement structures to ensure that there is strict enforcement, that there is no foreign shopping, and that we really have one single regime across the European Union.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sophia IN 'T VELD (Renew, NL), Rapporteur, The Council, on the other hand, was very shy. Emphasising that this was within the realm of criminal law, where they felt that they wanted to keep their national prerogatives, which may be understandable from one point of view. But if you want to achieve, let's say, strict application of the sanctions, then you need, more harmonisation. So, the trilogues were difficult in particular, as the Council tried to have a kind of unanimity. And therefore the Spanish presidency had very little margin for manoeuvre.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sophia IN 'T VELD (Renew, NL), Rapporteur, We addressed a lot of issues relating to the level of the penalties, and also the method applied, for example, when it's about fines, it was impossible to find agreement with the Council on, expressing fines as a percentage of turnover or as a fixed amount. Because there are two different systems that exist in the member states. But it was an absolute red line for the Council.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sophia IN 'T VELD (Renew, NL), Rapporteur, So now we still have a big difference in that in some cases in some countries there will be a fixed amount. And then another, there may be a percentage which leads to a much higher amount in practice. We had long debates about whether or not serious negligence should be criminalised. And enforcement, as I said, was also very important for us. And we did manage to agree, at least on a minimum system where the member states will designate a single body or unit responsible for work or coordination and cooperation, because that, of course, is also essential.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sophia IN 'T VELD (Renew, NL), Rapporteur, That we don't just have entities responsible for the application within the member state. But given that this is a Europe-wide regime, there also has to be adequate cooperation between the member states. And we want to make sure that that runs smoothly. So instead of a patchwork of different authorities, we will now have a more structured, and not ad hoc, system. As I said, the European Parliament was more ambitious than the Council, but, we as a parliamentary negotiating team, we also felt that it was very important to give a signal to our friends in Ukraine because, of course, the sanctions are not just on Russians.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sophia IN 'T VELD (Renew, NL), Rapporteur, The sanctions are also applying to all sorts of other nationalities. But of course, we are now facing the very acute situation of the invasion of Ukraine. And we wanted to send a strong signal and say 'okay, sometimes, best is the enemy of better.' And we want to achieve something which will allow us, in the shortest possible term, to criminalise the circumvention and violation of sanctions.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sophia IN 'T VELD (Renew, NL), Rapporteur, Also to be able to confiscate, not just the proceeds, but assets themselves, in a number of cases. Finally, the deal was supported by EPP, S&D, Greens and ECR, and of course, my own group. The Left was opposed for a number of reasons, from the start. But they indicated that the ID group didn't actually participate in the negotiations. So we expect there to be or there was actually a very broad majority when we voted earlier today.

Q&A, Question regarding expected outcomes of the regulation.