Bij uitvoeren sancties tegen leiders onderdrukkende regimes moet EU één blok vormen (en)

EU Member States must act as one when imposing sanctions on leaders of repressive regimes and not have double standards with regard to their keeping money, owning property, doing business or travelling within the EU, says the Foreign Affairs Committee in a resolution voted on Tuesday. These leaders' frozen and confiscated should be repatriated, it adds.

An estimated $150 billion in North African countries' assets is held within the EU, including the personal fortunes of Egypt's former dictator Hosni Mubarak and his family and of the former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir is suspected of keeping vast assets in European banks, as is the recently deceased Kim Il Jong.

MEPs argue that disagreement among Member States when applying sanctions undermines the EU's transparency and credibility and uncoordinated sanctions can be ineffective or even counterproductive. To prevent this, the Council should develop clear criteria for applying restrictive measures and be more rigorous in selecting regimes upon which to impose sanctions, they say.

Repatriate frozen and confiscated assets

Member States should also endeavour as soon as possible to repatriate frozen and confiscated assets of authoritarian leaders to their respective countries, to the benefit of the population.

Restrictive measures should target only the leaders of repressive regimes and not penalize their populations. On the contrary, sanctions should be combined with support for civil society in the country concerned, aiming at engaging in dialogue with the peoples and developing culture of respect for democracy and human rights.

"Dubiously acquired wealth" spent in the EU 

To many authoritarian leaders, and the persons associated with them, the EU is an attractive place to invest in property, property, hold bank accounts, or obtain healthcare services. It is also an area in which they enjoy the freedom to travel and the freedom to spend their "often dubiously acquired wealth", MEPs note.

Member States should forbid academic institutions to accept funding or donations from leaders upon whom sanctions have been imposed and their natural and legal associates, say MEPs, adding that they should also declare anyone on the sanctions list who holds property or financial assets on their territory and cooperate in identifying and confiscating them.

Here MEPs cite the scandal that shook the London School of Economics in spring 2011, when it was revealed that it had accepted more than £2 million to train Libyan civil servants.

The resolution, drafted by Graham Watson (ALDE, UK), was passed with 53 votes in favour, 2 against and 1 abstention.

Committee on Foreign Affairs

Procedure: non-legislative resolution

Plenary vote: 1 February 2012 (tbc)