Kaja Kallas seeks time for EU response to US sanctions on ICC
The EU’s top diplomat said the bloc would examine its legal options and pursue dialogue as lawmakers pressed for quicker action to protect the court.
Kaja Kallas said on October 20 that the EU would use the coming months to examine how to respond to US sanctions against the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Politico reported. The approach gives Brussels time for legal analysis and dialogue despite pressure from European lawmakers to act sooner.
Nearly 60 members of the European Parliament from across the political spectrum have urged the European Commission to intervene swiftly, according to Politico. They want it to activate the EU’s blocking statute, a measure intended to prevent EU companies from complying with US sanctions.
Why Kallas is delaying a decision on the blocking statute
Kallas told lawmakers to keep all options on the table, Politico reported. ‘If we use the blocking statute, we have one shot and we should do it well. So, it should be well prepared,’ she said. She also called on companies not to overcomply with the sanctions while the EU considers its response.
The EU executive would take time ‘to analyze the full legal implications, to open dialogue and look for solutions,’ Kallas said, according to Politico. She did not announce a decision to activate the statute.
The US sanctions are expected to take effect after a 180-day delay that began on October 9, Politico reported. Washington has already targeted nine ICC judges and the court’s chief prosecutor, cutting them off from US service providers, including banking services. The sanctions therefore affect the court’s personnel as well as the companies that provide services to them.
How the EU plans to use the sanctions delay
In an October 12 statement, the EU expressed regret over the US sanctions announcement and welcomed the delay before the measures enter into force as room for diplomacy. It said it stood ready to take necessary measures to ensure the ICC could operate effectively. That position preceded Kallas’s October 20 remarks.
Irish European Affairs Minister Thomas Byrne likewise told lawmakers that the delay offered an opportunity for dialogue while the EU remained ready to take necessary measures, Politico reported. Kallas said she would visit The Hague this week and continue engaging with partners to strengthen the court.
Kallas warned that decisions by Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad and Venezuela to reject or withdraw from the ICC risk weakening international justice, according to Politico. She also cited the court’s investigations of Russian war crimes in Ukraine when describing why the institution matters to the EU’s response.
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Sources and context
- Kallas buys time on EU response to US sanctions against the ICCPolitico Europe
- International Criminal Court: Statement by the High Representative Kaja Kallas on behalf of the EU following the announcement of US sanctionsEuropean External Action Service
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.