The Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Bill has been introduced
in Parliament today (Wednesday 18 October). This is the
first Bill relating to Brexit to be introduced in the House of
Lords, following a public
consultation on the new measures earlier this
year.
The new legislation will give the UK the necessary legal powers
to continue to implement sanctions and introduce tough new
measures post-Brexit against states such as North Korea and
terrorist organisations including Daesh. This will enable
us to maintain existing sanctions regimes
currently imposed through EU law, while providing the necessary
legal underpinning for the UK to decide when and how to take
action against new threats.
This is an important step in ensuring that the UK continues to
meet its international obligations and work with allies in
tackling shared threats once the UK has left the European Union.
Minister for Europe Rt Hon Sir MP said:
“Sanctions are a vital part of our response to countries,
organisations and individuals who threaten our security or
undermine international law. We are taking sensible steps to make
sure that we have legislation in place for when we leave the EU
so our existing sanctions can continue and we have the freedom to
take further action when necessary.
“As a Permanent Member of the UN Security Council the UK has long
championed a rules-based international system and this will
continue after we leave the EU. Sanctions are most
effective when delivered by a coalition of countries acting
together and we expect to continue working closely with our
partners in the EU and the rest of the world to take decisive
action when needed. This Bill will ensure we retain the
powers we need to remain a responsible and reliable security
partner.”
The Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Bill will be taken
through the House of Lords by Foreign Office Minister and is expected to
move onto Second Reading later this autumn.
Notes to editors:
-
· Sanctions
play a key role in the UK’s foreign policy and national security.
They helped bring Iran to the negotiating table on its nuclear
programme and are an essential element of the UK’s response to
Russia’s actions in Ukraine. Like all other UN Member States, the
UK is obliged under international law to implement UN sanctions.
- · Non-UN
sanctions against specific countries are currently imposed in the
UK through EU laws. When the UK leaves the European Union, these
powers will need to be replaced. This Bill will repatriate powers
on non-UN sanctions from Brussels, reflecting and building on the
current EU process which is used in the UK. Being unable to
exercise these powers would undermine the effectiveness of
sanctions, expose the UK to legal risks, and could have
unacceptable humanitarian and human rights consequences.
- · The
main provisions of the Bill will allow the UK Government to:
- Create new powers to impose, implement and enforce sanctions
regimes, drawing on the current EU model
- Introduce an annual review of regimes to ensure that they
remain appropriate
- Ensure individuals and organisations can challenge any
sanctions imposed on them
- Enable the government to issue exemptions when needed, for
example in delivering humanitarian aid in regions affected by
sanctions; and
- Make it easier to stop suspected terrorists from accessing
their money
