‘A foreign attack on EU territory’: MEPs call EU to shield ICC from US sanctions

Key Points:

• Fifty-eight EU lawmakers have urged Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to strongly defend the International Criminal Court (ICC) against U.S. sanctions, calling for urgent deployment of all available instruments to protect the court.
• The letter, led by ECON chair Aurore Lalucq and EPP lawmaker Dirk Gotink, demands the EU draw a clear line towards the U.S. administration following sanctions imposed on ICC judges after the court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
• U.S. sanctions threaten to sever the ICC’s access to the global financial system and technology services, prompting concerns that these measures constitute an attack on an entity based in EU territory using the EU’s own financial infrastructure.
• Lawmakers called on the European Commission to activate the Blocking Statute, a legislative tool that would prevent EU companies from complying with U.S. sanctions after a 180-day grace period, emphasizing the need for a stronger EU response than the pragmatic solutions currently pursued by foreign affairs ministers.
• The letter highlights that the EU’s values, autonomy, and credibility are at risk, framing the defense of the ICC as crucial to the survival of the Union itself.