Lords to question experts on future UK-EU collaboration on sanctions

As a Member State the UK always played a leading role in developing the EU’s sanction policy, but what that role will be following its exit from the EU is less clear. The House of Lords Security and Justice EU Sub-Committee will hear more detail on the future of UK-EU sanctions collaboration, quizzing experts next week.

This remote session will start at 10am on Tuesday 27 October and will be available to view live on Parliament TV. 

The session will look at whether the UK can and should continue to collaborate with the EU on sanctions policy and the consequences for the effectiveness of their respective regimes if it does not do so. The Committee will then take evidence on the UK’s new global sanctions policy, on how it will operate alongside that of the EU and what benefits and challenges that new policy may bring to the UK agencies, businesses and individuals affected by it.

Taking up the remit on sanctions of from the former External Affairs Sub-Committee, the Security and Justice Sub-Committee will take evidence from three witnesses from the former Committee’s 2017 inquiry into Brexit and UK sanctions policy. 

The witness will be:
 

• Emil Dall, Senior Research Fellow, Royal United Services Institute for Crime and Security Studies
• Maya Lester QC, Brick Court Chambers
• Dr. Clara Portela, Lecturer in Political Science, University of Valencia

Topics likely to be covered by the Committee include:

• What role did the UK play in EU sanctions policy when a Member State, and how influential was that role?
• How will the UK’s departure from the EU affect future EU sanctions policy?
• If the UK wished to continue cooperation with the EU in sanctions policy, how could it do this?
• Can the UK retain an influential role in EU decision-making on
  sanctions?
• Will the EU follow the lead of the US and UK and develop a sanctions policy that focuses on alleged human rights abuses?
• Will the respective sanctions policies of the UK and EU diverge in the future and what could be the consequences of this?
• How effective could the new UK global sanctions policy be?