International Legal Basis for the Introduction of EU Unilateral Restrictive Measures
The integration process that began on the territory of modern Europe in the 1950s led to the creation of the European Union (hereinafter referred to as the “EU”), based on three pillars: the European Communities, cooperation in the field of justice and criminal cases, as well as a common foreign and security policy. The constituent documents of the EU provide for the possibility, by a unanimous decision of the Member States, to introduce unilateral restrictive measures of an economic nature against third States, their legal entities and individuals. The article examines the evolution of the concept of the coordinated introduction of unilateral restrictive measures by the EU member States. A detailed examination of the constituent treaties of the EU allows, within the framework of this article, to form an idea of the international legal bases and procedures necessary for the introduction of restrictive EU measures. In addition, the article examines the specifics of the interaction between the EU authorities and the national authorities of its member states on some issues related to compliance with restrictive measures, as well as the legal positions of the EU Court aimed at observing high standards of human rights protection when imposing restrictive measures.