The European Union has established an autonomous sanctions framework enabling it to impose restrictive measures on persons and entities responsible for threatening the peace, security or stability of Haiti or undermining democracy or the rule of law in this EU partner country. The EU Council’s decision to amend the current sanctions regime in this direction was adopted on the evening of Friday 28 July.
The Council remains concerned about the high levels of gang violence and other criminal activities, sexual and gender-based violence, the misappropriation of public funds, the persistent impunity enjoyed by the perpetrators and the disastrous humanitarian situation in Haiti, all of which have devastating consequences for the Haitian people.
“With this new framework for restrictive measures, we are sending a clear signal to Haitian gang leaders and their financiers: we know how they operate and there will be no impunity. The EU stands with Haiti and its people”, commented the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell.
These autonomous sanctions will complement the sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council in October 2022 (resolution 2653 (2022)).
No-one is yet on the EU’s autonomous list. The restrictive measures consist of a travel ban for individuals and the freezing of assets belonging to both individuals and entities. In addition, EU individuals and entities will be prohibited from making funds available, directly or indirectly, to persons on the list.
See the legal document: https://aeur.eu/f/8ac (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)