Brussels, 31/07/2001 (Agence Europe) - The Union regrets the decision taken by the American Congress to prolong the validity of the so-called Iran/Libya Sanctions Act (ILSA) for a further five years, over and above its deadline this month. Commissioner Chris Patten declared on Tuesday: "As a matter both of principle and policy, the EU has long opposed unilateral sanctions laws with extraterritorial effects. Such laws, designed to impose US requirements on economic operators of foreign countries, threaten the open international trading system. The European Union has adopted the Blocking Statute which makes it illegal for any European Union company to comply with ILSA (the Council Regulation 2271/96: see Official Journal of 29 November 1996: Ed.). But the US measure still creates uncertainty and expense for European companies. The Understanding reached by the EU-US Summit in London on 18 May 1998 was designed to avoid such consequences". Mr. Patten also says that the response provided for by the Europeans to any action against European individuals or firms "is still valid". In April 1997, the Council had decided that, in such a case, the Union would ask the World Trade Organisation to set up a panel against the United States.