BRUSSELS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th November, 2018) The European Union supports the Dutch government's initiative to create a large-scale mechanism of sanctions against human rights violations, and EU institutions' representatives will attend the upcoming meeting, during which the initiative is set to be discussed, a EU spokesperson told Sputnik late on Monday.
Earlier on Monday, Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok said that a new EU mechanism of sanctions against human rights violations would be discussed during the meeting of EU government officials, set to be held in the Hague on Tuesday.
"We welcome the initiative taken by the Netherlands to organize an expert seminar 'Towards and EU global human rights sanctions regime' on 20 of November. Experts from the European External Actions service will attend the workshop," the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added that the idea of a EU global regime of sanctions against human rights violations merited "careful reflection, given its importance and complexity."
"Tomorrow's meeting will provide a good opportunity for experts to discuss this issue ... Let me also remind you that the introduction of new sanctions is for EU member states to determine and unanimously agree on in the Council," the spokesperson added.
Blok believes that following talks in the Hague, the sanctions regime could be included into the agenda of the next meeting of EU foreign ministers, which will be held in Brussels on December 10.
