On Monday 19 February, the Council of the European Union introduced a humanitarian exception, effective for an initial period of 12 months, as part of its restrictive measures to combat terrorism. This decision, which concerns the freezing of assets, follows Resolution 2664 (2022) adopted by the United Nations Security Council on 9 November 2022, which established a permanent humanitarian exemption in the UN sanctions regimes.
In line with this resolution, the Council of the EU now allows certain humanitarian actors to carry out transactions with listed entities without prior authorisation, for the purpose of providing humanitarian aid.
On 14 February 2023, the EU had already incorporated this exemption into the UN sanctions regimes at its level.
This resolution established a permanent humanitarian exemption in the UN sanctions regimes, allowing humanitarian actors to engage in transactions necessary for their work without hindrance.
On 31 March 2023 (see EUROPE 13154/12), it was extended to include mixed UN/EU sanctions regimes. This has enabled the sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council to be harmonised with complementary EU measures, ensuring that humanitarian action is not hampered by financial restrictions.
And on 27 November 2023 (see EUROPE 13302/25), it was incorporated into ten autonomous EU sanctions regimes. This extension has reinforced the EU’s coherent approach in applying its sanctions policies, underlining the priority given to humanitarian aid and respect for basic human needs.
The decision taken on 19 February is therefore in line with the EU’s policy of ensuring that sanctions do not compromise the delivery of humanitarian aid. It reaffirms the EU’s commitment to respecting international law and supporting impartial humanitarian action, while maintaining an effective framework of restrictive measures against terrorism. (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)