12/03/24 (Agence Europe) – At its plenary session in Strasbourg on Tuesday 12 March, the European Parliament approved by 543 votes to 45 with 27 abstentions the provisional political agreement reached at the end of 2023 (see EUROPE 13312/12) with the Council of the European Union on a new directive targeting infringements of EU sanctions. This legislation establishes a uniform definition of violations and sets minimum penalties. EU sanctions are varied and include asset freezes, travel bans, arms embargoes and sectoral restrictions. However, the implementation of these measures will depend on the Member States, where interpretations of violations may differ. The text also makes it an offence to circumvent sanctions, such as concealing funds or property that must be declared. However, it specifies that humanitarian actions will not be considered as violations. See the approved text: https://aeur.eu/f/b9m (NP)