Targeted Sanctions and Circumvention, Who's Next? Legal Challenges in the EU, the US and the UK

Sanctions have become a central instrument of contemporary foreign policy, however their effectiveness is inevitably undermined by circumvention tactics. Francesca Finelli examines how sanctioning actors develop increasingly complex strategies to combat circumvention, but she also critically assesses how these strategies undermine the targeted nature of sanctions.

Presenting a comparative analysis of three key jurisdictions, the European Union, the United States and the United Kingdom, Finelli examines how each responds to circumvention. The author addresses the legality and effectiveness of different strategies, including the imposition of derivative designations, secondary sanctions, enhanced reporting duties and strengthened enforcement mechanisms. Ultimately, the book provides innovative and concrete recommendations for achieving a lawful response to sanctions evasion, ensuring that the pursuit of effectiveness does not erode the targeted nature of sanctions.

This multi-jurisdictional and systemic analysis is a crucial resource for scholars and students of international law, EU law, criminal law, comparative law, and the emerging field of “sanctions law”. Legal practitioners will also benefit from the comprehensive analysis, while policymakers will find clear and practical guidance for designing lawful and proportionate anti-circumvention strategies.