EU diplomat says Brussels will stall for months while weighing response to US ICC sanctions
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EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas said the European Commission will spend the coming months examining legal options and talking through next steps before deciding on measures such as the blocking statute to push back against US sanctions on the International Criminal Court.
EU foreign affairs minister Kaja Kallas told the European Parliament on Tuesday that the Commission will spend the next several months analysing the legal implications and opening discussions on how to confront the United States' sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC). She said the bloc will keep all options, including the use of the EU's blocking statute, under consideration and urged companies not to bend in advance to the US measures.
Nearly 60 members of the European Parliament from various political groups have called for the immediate activation of the blocking statute, which would prohibit EU firms from complying with the US sanctions. The lawmakers demanded a swift response after the White House announced sanctions that target nine ICC judges and the chief prosecutor, restricting their access to US financial and service providers.
Kallas said the EU will analyse the full legal implications before deciding on any action, noting that the sanctions are expected to take effect after a 180-day delay starting on Oct. 9. Irish European Affairs Minister Thomas Byrne, representing the EU Council presidency, described the delay as a chance for dialogue while still staying ready to take the necessary measures.
The United States has been pressing countries to withdraw from the ICC, and Kallas warned that recent decisions by several African nations and Venezuela to leave the court could weaken global justice. She highlighted the ICC's investigations into alleged Russian war crimes in Ukraine and said the EU would continue to work with partners to support the court, adding that the bloc has practical means to do more. Kallas said she would travel to The Hague later in the week for further discussions.