Criminal liability for breaches of EU sanctions

The EU has adopted new rules so that all member states enforce EU sanctions (for example trade and financial bans against certain countries or individuals) consistently and punish breaches. Germany is now implementing these EU requirements in national law. Anyone who intentionally breaches EU sanctions in future, for example by exporting prohibited goods, concealing frozen assets, or enabling a sanctioned person to enter the country, can be punished with up to five years’ imprisonment. Several dozen new posts are being created for prosecution at the Customs Criminal Investigation Office, the Federal Criminal Police Office, and the Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control.