Senior European Parliament figures have condemned the United States’ announced intention to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court and called on the European Commission to respond by activating EU legal protections.
The statement — issued jointly by the chairs of five European Parliament bodies — described the planned US measures as “an unacceptable assault on the foundations of international justice”, the Parliament announced on Friday.
The MEPs said targeting the ICC “as an institution” crossed “a fundamental red line” and threatened the independence and integrity of the court, which was established to pursue accountability for what they called “the gravest crimes of concern to the international community.”
Call for EU “Blocking Statute”
The lawmakers said the European Union should show “solidarity with the ICC and its personnel” through “concrete acts”, not only statements, the European Parliament said.
They urged the European Commission to “immediately trigger the EU Blocking Statute”, a measure designed to shield EU-based people and organisations from the effects of certain foreign sanctions applied beyond a country’s borders.
The joint statement was signed by David McAllister, chair of the European Parliament’s foreign affairs committee; Mounir Satouri, chair of its human rights subcommittee; Bernd Lange, chair of the international trade committee; Ilhan Kyuchyuk, chair of the legal affairs committee; and Brando Benifei, chair of the delegation for relations with the United States.
