EU Sanctions Map
Database of sanctions imposed by the European Union
URL
Description
The European Union uses sanctions as a tool under the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). The EU implements all sanctions adopted by the United Nations Security Council and these are automatically transposed into EU law. The EU also applies additional measures to complement and reinforce UN sanctions, and adopts its own sanctions as the Union sees fit. This tool covers both EU and UN Sanctions on individuals, entities and countries.
Search the EU Sanctions Map
The tool offers multiple search options and filters, including by theme.
Thematic restriction topics include terrorism, human rights, cyber-attacks and chemical weapons. At the top of the page there is a drop down menu for those. To see the full information, scroll down to the alphabetized list and click on the specific topic or click on the small text that says "Info" at the bottom of the pop-up window to get to the details.
Country-level sanctions and restrictions - the tool has an alphabetized list of countries against which some sort of sanctions or restrictions have been imposed. Each entry on the front page provides basic information on the restrictive measures, little icons depicting the sanctions and three separate sub-pages with detailed information.
Clicking on the List paperclip icon will take you to the lists of persons, entities and items sanctioned in a specific country. These lists are broken down by type of restriction/sanction providing the names of persons and entities. Each listed entity is hyperlinked and when clicked opens a pop-up window with even more information.
Using the search bar - here you can type any name of an entity/individual/country to see if there are any sanctions against them. The search works with Cyrillic and Latin script, but does not work with Arabic or Chinese for example. Such names are all transliterated in Latin script, so be mindful of variations of the names (e.g. Mohamed/ Mohammad/ Muhammad or Akund/Akhund).
The more useful dropdown menu at the top of the page - this is a quick way to filter the information. Filters include which governing body adopted the sanctions, the themes, the countries and the most useful option - filter by type of sanction.
Clicking on a country on the map - this will open a pop-up window with the type of sanctions imposed on this country. The additional information is accessible by clicking the small text that says "Info" at the bottom of the pop-up.
What information can you find in the EU Sanctions Map?
Full name - including name variations
Date of Birth - not always available
Place of birth - not always available
Citizenship
A job title - usually those are government officials, high level executives in companies or heads of some paramilitary organization
Function - what this person's activities were - a member of a council, a decision maker, etc.
The date this person was sanctioned
Link to the official legal act with which the sanction was imposed
FSD ID - Assigned ID number in the Financial Sanctions Database of the EU
Other provided resources
At the top of the page there is a list of additional resources, pertaining to or somehow relevant to the sanctions. These resources link out to different EU-wide websites. Each of the resources serves a specific purpose and can be used separately or as part of your research.
EU Sanctions Whistleblower Tool - can be used to report violations of sanctions. It allows to anonymously submit a report and also provides additional resources on what can be reported.
Competent Authorities - a list of the authorities in each EU Member State that deal with the sanctions. Each country links out to the specific website for that country.
TARIC Database - an EU-wide customs tariff database that allows searching by goods code, origin and destination.
Consolidated List of Travel Bans - a downloadable file with a list of persons subject, under EU sanctions, to travel restrictions. The file is regularly updated and offers a subscription to an email alert when a new version is added.
Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions - a list of persons, groups and entities subject to EU financial sanctions.
EU Sanctions Tracker - A website geared more towards statitcists and data overtime. It has interactive overall charts, but also charts for each sanctioned country, entity or individual. It also provides the same information as the EU Sanctions Map but in a more interactive form. It also allows for data to be downloaded in a CSV format to be used later in custom-made charts.
Cost
Level of difficulty
Requirements
Internet connection
Limitations
Our research shows that this resource only provides information on sanctioned entities. It does not provide information on politically exposed persons (PEPs).
EU Sanctions Map does not have an API integration feature, so downloading data in bulk might be more difficult.
This tool only contains the names of persons and entities sanctioned by the EU and the UN, and does not provide sanctions imposed by other countries.
Ethical Considerations
Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is sometimes visible in the entries for individuals. Although the information comes from an official source, PII should be used and shared with caution.
Guides and articles
EU Sanctions Map's guidelines for users (pdf)
Thomson Reuters Practical Law - Did you know? EU Sanctions Map for up to date information on restrictive measures
Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs - The EU Sanctions Map - simple, comprehensive and user-friendly
Tool provider
The European Commission (EC)
Similar tools
There are various tools for researching sanctions on the web. Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit also has descriptions and guides on SanctionsExplorer, OpenSanctions and OCCRP Aleph. Although they serve the same purpose, there are some major differences among them:
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