What changed

MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

P10_TA(2026)0015

on addressingAddressing impunity through EU sanctions, including the EU Global Human Rights sanctions regime (so-called ‘EU Magnitsky Act’)

(2025/2049(INI))

Committee on Foreign Affairs

PE775.385

European Parliament resolution of 21 January 2026 on addressing impunity through EU sanctions, including the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime (so-called ‘EU Magnitsky Act’) (2025/2049(INI))

– having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 10 December 1948,

– having regard to the Treaty on European Union (TEU), in particular Articles 2, 3(5), 21, 23, 29 and 31(2) thereof,

– having regard to Article 215 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU),Union, which concerns the adoption of restrictive measures against natural or legal persons and groups or non-State entities,

– having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union,

B. whereas the EUGHRSR – EU Magnitsky Act, adopted in December 2020, enables the EU to impose restrictive measures on individuals and entities responsible for serious human rights violations worldwide; whereas certain EU Member States have adopted their own national Magnitsky-style legislation and these are important tools to complement EU sanctions; whereas the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and other like-minded countries have adopted similar sanctions regimes; whereas cooperation and coordination among like-minded countries on sanctions increases their effectiveness;

C. whereas the European Court of Human Rights, in a unanimous ruling of seven judges in the case Magnitsky and Others v Russia (application nosnos. 32631/09 and 53799/12) on 27 August 2019, held that Russia was responsible for Sergei Magnitsky’s death in prison and that he had been subjected to intentional acts of violence amounting to inhuman and degrading treatment; whereas, despite investigations into his detention, torture, unlawful posthumous prosecution and death, no one has been held criminally accountable;

D. whereas in its resolution of 8 July 2021 on the EUGHRSR – EU Magnitsky Act, Parliament welcomed the adoption of the sanctions regime as an essential addition to the EU’s human rights and foreign policy toolbox;

35. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

This motion for a resolution addresses the pressing need to enhance the European Union’s efforts to combat impunity for serious human rights violations through targeted restrictive measures. It focuses on the implementation, effectiveness, impact, and future direction of the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime (EUGHRSR), commonly referred within the European Parliament as the EU Magnitsky Act.

Adopted in December 2020, the EUGHRSR – EU Magnitsky Act enables the EU to impose asset freezes and travel bans on individuals and entities responsible for serious human rights abuses worldwide. Despite its significance as a foreign policy tool, the regime still faces several operational, geographical, and legal challenges that hinder its full potential.

As of May 2025, 154 listings (118 individuals and 36 entities) have been made under the regime. However, with the report concerns are expressed over the narrow focus of the listings – both geographically and thematically – as they tend to centre on certain geographical areas, and specific political and civil rights violations in authoritarian contexts, while under-addressing core international crimes and systemic socio-economic rights abuses. The gender perspective of the application of the EUGHRSR – EU Magnitsky Act is also under analysis.

The report underlines the need for a more coherent and strategic use of the sanctions regime, aligned with broader EU foreign policy objectives and other restrictive measures. It calls for an impact assessment of the regime’s effectiveness, greater alignment with international partners, improved enforcement by Member States, and enhanced transparency and accountability.

Additionally, the text proposes to identify avenues for improving the sanctions instruments, and measures to close implementation loopholes and prevent sanction circumvention. The report also aims to identify ways for the European Parliament and other relevant actors such as civil society organisations to contribute to the process of suggestions for listing criteria. It also reiterates its long-standing support for including anti-corruption sanctions within the EU framework.

Importantly, the draft report stresses that a review of the regime – following its prolongation until December 2026 – would provide a critical opportunity to address current shortcomings and reinforce the EU’s commitment to human rights, the rule of law, and the fight against impunity globally.

ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT

Pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure, the rapporteur declares that he included in his report input on matters pertaining to the subject of the file that he received, in the preparation of the report, prior to the adoption thereof in committee, from the following interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register:

1. Interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register

Sergey Ross, lawyer and human rights defender

Tinatin Tsertsvadze, Advocacy Advisor, Open Society Foundations

Natalia Kubesch, Legal officer, Redress UK

The list above is drawn up under the exclusive responsibility of the rapporteur.

Where natural persons are identified in the list by their name, by their function or by both, the rapporteur declares that he has submitted to the natural persons concerned the European Parliament’s Data Protection Notice No 484 (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/data-protect/index.do), which sets out the conditions applicable to the processing of their personal data and the rights linked to that processing.

INFORMATION ON ADOPTION IN COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

Date adopted

2.12.2025

Result of final vote

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–:

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44

15

4

Members present for the final vote

Mika Aaltola, Mieke Andriese, Lucia Annunziata, Petras Auštrevičius, Jordan Bardella, Wouter Beke, Adam Bielan, Helmut Brandstätter, Grzegorz Braun, Petr Bystron, Tobias Cremer, Danilo Della Valle, Elio Di Rupo, Loucas Fourlas, Michael Gahler, Giorgos Georgiou, Christophe Gomart, Bernard Guetta, Hana Jalloul Muro, Rasa Juknevičienė, Sandra Kalniete, Łukasz Kohut, Ondřej Kolář, Andrey Kovatchev, Sergey Lagodinsky, Antonio López-Istúriz White, David McAllister, Vangelis Meimarakis, Sven Mikser, Francisco José Millán Mon, Arkadiusz Mularczyk, Hannah Neumann, Leoluca Orlando, Tonino Picula, Thijs Reuten, Nacho Sánchez Amor, Andreas Schieder, Alexander Sell, Villy Søvndal, Davor Ivo Stier, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, Michał Szczerba, António Tânger Corrêa, Marta Temido, Cristian Terheş, Riho Terras, Hermann Tertsch, Pierre-Romain Thionnet, Roberto Vannacci

Substitutes present for the final vote

Pernando Barrena Arza, Jaroslav Bžoch, Viktória Ferenc, Tomasz Froelich, Giorgio Gori, Ilhan Kyuchyuk, Miriam Lexmann, Matjaž Nemec, Matthieu Valet, Isabel Wiseler-Lima

Members under Rule 216(7) present for the final vote

Sérgio Humberto, Nikos Papandreou, Carla Tavares, Catarina Vieira

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL BY THE COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

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