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European Union foreign ministers have agreed to seek talks with the United States over its new sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), with the aim of having the measures lifted. The decision was made after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg on Monday.
What the ministers agreed
Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen said after the meeting that most EU countries support protecting the ICC. He added that the ministers regret the new US sanctions and consider them unnecessary.
Berendsen explained that EU countries agree to use the next six months, before the sanctions take effect, to talk with the US and protect the court. He said the goal is to remove the sanctions.
The EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, said at a press conference that member states “were clear: they are serious about protecting the court.” She explained that the six months before the US measures take effect “offers a window of dialogue,” and said, “the EU has options to ensure that the court can continue its vital work.” Kallas also spoke with the ICC’s president after the US announcement. She did not give details on how the court would be protected or mention the possible use of the EU “blocking statute.”
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The Dutch position
Berendsen said the Netherlands is prepared to play a role, but added: “We are also looking very closely at the European Commission, at other European countries, and at partners worldwide.” He explained that the Netherlands “cannot take on all the responsibility alone.”
He pointed out that although the Netherlands hosts the ICC, it is just one of the 124 countries that are part of the court. “We really need many other states parties to adequately protect the court,” he said.
Berendsen said judges affected by earlier US sanctions faced practical problems, such as being unable to access their money. The Netherlands helped by contacting different service providers after those sanctions. Berendsen added that the European Commission is now playing a bigger role in making international agreements in this area.
Background
The United States announced sanctions against the ICC as a whole on Friday, after already sanctioning individual ICC judges earlier. In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Japan said they “regret and strongly disagree” with the sanctions. They warned that if the measures take effect, they “will have a significant impact on the court’s work, its dedicated staff and their families.”