In the period 24-26 June 2025, the Economic Crime and Cooperation Division of the Council of Europe organised a workshop “Procedures, good practices and challenges in examination of queries posed by EU business operators for verification of identity of designated persons and application of restrictive measures” for National Competent Authorities (NCAs) from more than 22 Member States, responsible for the oversight of sanctions implementation required under EU Regulations applied following Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. The workshop was held in Valletta, Malta, and was followed by training sessions for business operators and NCAs, held on 26 June 2025.
The focus of the workshop was the presentation of findings following the research conducted by the Council of Europe experts concerning good practices and existing challenges in measures deployed to encourage more effective sanctions compliance by NCAs with business operators. A series of presentations were delivered by NCA representatives on the current activities undertaken by them in relation to their operational frameworks and on cases where penalties had been imposed for non-compliance with sanctions requirements. The workshop also included a presentation delivered by a Council of Europe expert on overview of “enablers” or professional advisors that may facilitate sanctions circumvention. Representatives of the European External Action Service (EEAS) delivered presentations with focus upon supporting effective implementation of EU sanctions in non-EU countries, describing EEAS representatives’ roles and the current framework for international cooperation.
A presentation was given by the Malta Maritime Centre, a regional sanctions authority undertaking monitoring and response efforts in relation to activities on sea and their possible misuse for the purpose of sanction evasion.
Two dedicated training sessions on 26 June 2025 were designed as capacity-building exercises for business operators and NCAs with specific focus on trade-based sanction evasion tactics – review of red flags, tactics and typologies of illicit actors to move assets and funds through trade activity linked to Russia. The dedicated training session for business operators hosted more than 500 participants (online and in person).
The next event within the joint Project “Effective Implementation of the Sanctions Regime and Enhanced Cross-border Cooperation in EU Member States” between the Council of Europe and the European Union under the Technical Support Instrument is a high-level conference scheduled to be held in Brussels from 11-12 September 2025.
The event was organised within the framework of the joint Project “Effective Implementation of the Sanctions Regime and Enhanced Cross-border Cooperation in EU Member States” between the Council of Europe and the European Union (EU) under the Technical Support Instrument.