On the 9th (local time), Europe expressed concern over the International Criminal Court (ICC) sanctions imposed by the US administration of Donald Trump and decided to find a way for the ICC to continue its mission despite the sanctions.
The European Commission said in a statement that day, “The EU will work closely with the ICC to ensure that it continues to operate effectively,” and added, “We will do our best to protect and respect the independence of the ICC in cooperation with all 125 States Parties to the Rome Statute.”
The EU hinted at the possibility of negotiations, saying "there is room for dialogue," referring to the six-month grace period that the Trump administration offered to U.S. companies and individuals doing business with the ICC.
Prime Minister Rob Yetton of the Netherlands, where the ICC headquarters is located, also said at a joint press conference with EU Summit President António Costa that it is important to have time for dialogue until sanctions take effect.
The foreign ministers of Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan issued a joint statement reaffirming their firm support for the ICC, saying, "If sanctions are imposed, they will have a significant impact on the work of the Court, its dedicated staff and their families."
Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen said he had asked the European Commission to prepare to invoke blocking rules to neutralize U.S. sanctions.
The EU's blocking regulation is a measure that forces companies and individuals in the region not to comply with sanctions imposed by third countries. It was originally a system created to prevent European companies from being disadvantaged by US sanctions on Cuba and Iran.
Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot also said he would request the invocation of the EU blocking regulation to protect the ICC and that he would discuss this issue at the EU Foreign Ministers' meeting next week.
ICC Director Tomoko Akane, who was already on the U.S. sanctions list last August, said in a video statement, "Today, in an unprecedented move in history, the United States sanctioned the ICC institution itself," and added, "Attempts to interfere with the Court's performance of its duties are unacceptable. It is an attack on the sovereign countries that established the Court."
Director Akane said, “The fate of the court now depends on the countries that established it,” and appealed to the parties to the Rome Statute, the treaty establishing the ICC, to find a way to neutralize sanctions.
Since its inauguration in January of last year, the Trump administration has repeatedly imposed sanctions on ICC lawyers and employees and called for the disbandment of the ICC. On this day, they increased the intensity of pressure by imposing sanctions on the entire ICC and saying they expected cooperation from the alliance.
Many of the ICC officials previously subject to sanctions have already had their email and financial transaction accounts at U.S. companies such as Apple, Amazon, and PayPal blocked. In preparation for additional sanctions from the United States, the ICC is replacing Microsoft software for business use with OpenDesk, a German-made program for public institutions, and is also preparing ways to circumvent financial transaction sanctions.
