EU Says ‘Regrettable Sanctions on International Criminal Court
The European Union on Friday condemned US sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC) as “deeply regrettable” and said it was “ready to take any necessary measures to enable the court to carry out its work.
The EU would work closely with the ICC to ensure its continued effective operation,” the European Commission said, adding that it hoped the six-month delay before the sanctions took effect meant “there is room for conversation”
One potential EU response would be invoking a legal instrument called the “blocking mechanism”, which prevents European companies from adhering to US sanctions “actively or by deliberate omission”, providing the EU with a potential tool for mitigating some of the impact.
European Council President Antonio Costa and Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten discussed the penalties Friday during a joint press conference in The Hague. Justice, international justice, is the only alternative to retribution. So we don’t have enduring peace without responsibility,” Costa remarked.“We call on the United States to engage in the next, in the next six months to be able to overcome this but our commitment is, we have a full commitment to support and continue to support ICC, the independence of the international justice, and to protect the members of the ICC and their staff.”
Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten on Friday underlined his country’s determination to defend the ICC against planned sanctions by the US.“We will do whatever we have to do to defend the ICC, Jetten added.
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