Counter-terrorism and sanctions: the Commission established the EU-level contact point

To assist NGOs, donors,  banks, and others, involved in the provision of humanitarian aid in environments subject to EU sanctions, the European Commission has established the EU-level contact point. The new figure would have the role of providing information and preliminary guidance, in relation to humanitarian derogations under EU sanctions regimes, to support and facilitate the activities of humanitarian delivery. 

As EU Member States are responsible for the implementation of EU sanctions, therefore to assess the requests and grant derogations to aid workers, the EU-level contact point will assist humanitarian operators in identifying the national authority responsible for assessing their request and, when possible, provide preliminary replies to queries relating to derogation requests.

Humanitarian organisations are invited to direct their queries to ec-sanctions-humanitarian-contact-point@ec.europa.eu by indicating

• basic information describing the humanitarian activity or operation subject to the query
• the sanctioned environment or the applicable sanctions regime, which is in their view subject to their activity and/or query
• the competent authority or authorities they believe may be responsible for handling their request and the reason why they have identified that authority or authorities

For further assistance on the provision of humanitarian aid to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic in compliance with EU sanctions, please consult the guidance note on the provision of humanitarian aid to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in certain environments subject to EU restrictive measures. 

Click here to read the EC Press Release