Making Sanctions Work to Protect Human Rights

The European Parliament’s resolution (21 January 2026) reaffirms the EU’s commitment to using the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime (EU Magnitsky Act) to punish serious human‑rights violations worldwide. It notes that the regime, adopted in December 2020 and extended until 8 December 2026, has listed 168 persons and entities (131 individuals, 37 entities) as of 4 November 2025, but its impact and coverage remain unclear. The resolution calls for:

• A comprehensive impact assessment of the Magnitsky regime and its interaction with other EU sanctions, with a review of listings at least every 12 months.
• Greater transparency, clearer de‑listing criteria, and stronger coordination with international justice mechanisms (UN, ICC, regional courts).
• Expansion of sanctions to include corruption, digital surveillance, spyware, environmental abuses, and transnational repression, and to target higher‑level political and military leaders.
• Harmonised implementation across Member States, including uniform enforcement, better capacity for asset freezes, and stricter compliance checks to prevent circumvention.
• Alignment with like‑minded partners (G7, UN Security Council) and cross‑listing with geographical sanctions regimes.
• Enhanced civil‑society participation through a structured consultation mechanism and protection for whistleblowers.
• Use of secondary sanctions and broader prohibitions on providing technical, material, or financial support to listed persons and their families.
• Regular reporting to Parliament on sanctions decisions and enforcement, and a call for qualified‑majority voting on sanctions in the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy.

The resolution stresses that sanctions should not harm ordinary populations, should be consistent with international law, and should serve as a deterrent against perpetrators of serious human‑rights violations.