The Council adopted a legal framework on 20 September 2016 which, for the first time, will allow the EU to apply sanctions autonomously against the self-styled Islamic State organisation (or Da’esh) and al-Qaeda and persons and entities associated or supporting them. Hitherto, sanctions could only be applied to persons and entities listed by the United Nations or by EU member states acting individually
The EU will be able to impose travel bans on individuals and freeze the assets of...