Making Sanctions Work: Political, Legal, and Economic Challenges of EU Restrictive Measures

Programme Description

The sanctions packages adopted by the European Union (EU), which intend to intensify pressure on Russia’s government and economy, have resurged traditional debates concerning the political, legal and economic reach of restrictive measures. 

On the political stage, the legitimacy of international sanctions has been challenged on the basis of their unilateral coercive nature, and as an instrument that is capable of affecting domains that go beyond its strict targets. Issues of uniform implementation and effective enforcement were also brought up, resulting in a number of initiatives at the EU level.

On the legal side, international sanctions have become one of the most voluminous fields of litigation before EU Courts. Through their case-law, the Courts actually shape the limits of this impactful foreign policy tool, giving an answer to unresolved questions relating to procedural rights of the sanctioned persons, the burden and standard of proof, the scope of judicial review, confidentiality, damages, etc. The Ukraine crisis and the restrictive measures adopted against Russia have also made apparent numerous private law issues, which, in essence, call for an action that guarantees legal certainty for private operators.

Finally, the economics of the international sanctions put in place by the EU against Russia have awaken a singular interest among scholars and experts. The key words in that regard are ‘effectiveness’ and ‘impact’. Are EU sanctions effective as tools for conditioning Russia's actions? Can those measures be designed in a way that minimises the negative impact on the EU’s economy?

In the third edition of this executive training programme, designed and delivered by EU policymakers and leading academics, participants will acquire an analytical and practical toolkit for understanding sanctions from various angles – political, legal, and economic – and for evaluating their effectiveness.

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Learning Outcomes

By the end of this programme, the participants will be able to:

• Identify the most relevant political, legal and economic challenges raised by the EU restrictive measures system and the international context in which they operate;
• Recognise the different packages of restrictive measures adopted by the EU in the current Ukraine crisis and compare them with measures adopted in other foreign jurisdictions;
• Distinguish the different mechanisms whereby EU restrictive measures become law and the practical implications of their enforcement, including possible remedies to address extraterritorial effects;
• Categorise the legal means by which judicial review of EU restrictive measures is ensured by the Courts of the EU;
• Assess the impact of EU judicial doctrines on the development of EU fundamental rights protection;
• Evaluate the degree of economic effectiveness and political legitimacy of restrictive measures, as well as their placement within the EU’s external policy and their geopolitical potential.

Learning Methods

• Knowledge transfer sessions led by experienced practitioners, lawyers and academics, with extensive expertise on the key legal and policy issues relating to restrictive measures;
• Three online training sessions and two days of interactive residential training focusing on the issues and main challenges arising from the implementation and judicial review of the EU sanctions policy;
• By blending experts’ inputs and learners’ interaction (case-study discussions on decision-making scenarios), this executive training also creates an enabling environment for peer-learning and networking.

 

Who Should Attend

• Civil servants of national administrations, including diplomats, in particular those involved in European affairs.
• Practising lawyers before EU and national courts.
• Researchers focusing on international law, and EU international relations and external policy.
• Civil servants of EU institutions and services working in the field of restrictive measures.
• Compliance officers.