ABSTRACT
The European Union (EU) is among the actors that most frequently adopts sanctions in its foreign policy. At the same time, understanding the functioning of the EU when using sanctions is not an easy task due to the EU’s unique institutional settings and the continuous evolution of the instrument of targeted sanctions. This chapter aims to present the case of the restrictive measure policy of the EU. The aim of the chapter is not only to discuss the historical evolution of sanctions in the context of European integration, but it intends to do so by focusing on the legal framework, the decision-making and the role of each actors involved. There are five main themes that the chapter highlights, such as but not limited to the fact that restrictive measures appear as the one-fits-all solution for all crises, that the ex-first and second pillars overlaps when it comes to sanctions, that the implementation of sanctions across EU members varies substantially and that the EU often coordinates with the US when it comes to sanctions. These five conclusions are reached by looking at the experience of the EU in the past two decades and, especially, by reviewing the cases of Iran, North Korea and Russia.
