Statement by Commissioner McGuinness on the outcomes of the fifth high-level meeting on sanctions implementation

Today, the European Commission hosted the fifth meeting of the High-Level Expert Group on Union Restrictive Measures. More than two years since Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, sanctions remain at the core of the EU’s response to this unprovoked military aggression. Following the adoption of thirteen far-reaching sanctions packages on Russia, the meeting focused on the persisting challenges associated with the enforcement and effectiveness of sanctions, in particular, circumvention of EU sanctions via third countries. The main goal of the meeting was to take stock of the progress made in combatting sanctions circumvention since the last high-level meeting in February. High-level representatives from Member States, alongside the European Commission and the External Action Service, came together to discuss the challenges, share data, and identify solutions. Member States representatives presented the outreach done and shared best practices on preventing circumvention of EU sanctions.