The European Commission is considering whether to apply the EU's blocking statute to U.S. sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC), a step that could help preserve the court's access to financial and other services.
The European Council identified that access as a concern in its Oct. 16 conclusions. It also pointed to the ability of EU companies to continue providing services to the court.
At an Oct. 19 briefing, the Commission said it had discussed potential use of the statute with EU member states. Separately, it contacted states party to the ICC about practical ways to protect the court if U.S. sanctions take effect.
The statute protects EU operators from the effects of specified foreign laws. Applying it to the U.S. measures could help companies keep serving the ICC, but the Commission has not decided whether to do so.
The EU adopted the blocking statute in 1996 and updated it in 2018 in connection with U.S. sanctions concerning Iran. The Commission has not announced a date for deciding whether to apply it in the ICC case.
