The European Union’s position and practice with regard to unilateral and extraterritorial sanctions

International audienceAs a regional economic integration organization, the EU adopts unilateral sanctions within the framework of its Common Foreign and Security Policy. It has developed over the last decades a refined and varied practice, combining sector-specific targeted sanctions with individual targeted sanctions. The chapter discusses specific cases and gives the keys to an x-ray of current EU practice. The extraterritoriality of unilateral sanctions is opposed by the European Union, which traditionally takes a stance against US practice in international fora such as the UN. At the same time, it is developing mechanisms for the multilateralization of its unilateral sanctions, which aim to extend their geographical scope as far as possible. Finally, the issue of human rights is addressed both from the point of view of the humanitarian impact of these sanctions and the extensive litigation of restrictive measures before the Court of Justice of the European Union