The Challenges of a Sanctions Machine: Some Reflections on the Legal Issues of EU Restrictive Measures in the Field of Common Foreign Security Policy

Over the last decades, the European Union has adopted numerous measures which negatively affect the interests of third States or other entities or individuals. Since the European Union is an economic power and lacks a real military force, which is still at embryonic level, only a few external tools are at the disposal of the EU to achieve the aims of fighting terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, while upholding respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law at external level (see art. 21 TEU).