Identification of the violation of Union restrictive measures as crimes under Article 83(1) of the TFEU

The European Parliament adopted by 509 votes to 58, with 19 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the draft Council decision on identifying the violation of Union restrictive measures as an area of crime that meets the criteria specified in Article 83(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

Parliament gave its consent to the draft Council decision.

In view of the urgent need to put an end to impunity for violations of restrictive measures following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the draft Council decision aims to add the violation of EU restrictive measures to the list of areas of crime referred to in Article 83(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

The proposal contributes to the effective implementation of the restrictive measures by requiring Member States to allow for the tracing and identification of property related to violations of Union restrictive measures, as defined by their national law, and by ensuring that the revised rules on asset recovery and confiscation are applicable to the criminal offence of violation of Union restrictive measures.