European Sanctions Enforcement – milestone of over 2000 announced and active investigations reached

With the recent news that Finland has increased the number of its ongoing investigations, Europe (meaning the EU, the UK, Switzerland, etc) has reached the milestone of over 2,000 ongoing and public sanctions enforcement investigations being undertaken by regulators and prosecutors.

No doubt there are other investigations which are ongoing in the countries shown on the graph, and no doubt there are investigations ongoing in countries not shown and which remain confidential.

How many of these will be dropped due to inconclusive evidence or exculpatory evidence, and how many will lead to a conviction or fine or acquittal is impossible to say.

It is, without question, an unprecedented level of enforcement.

 

Poland – sanctions investigation commenced into state-controlled oil trading company

After first being reported by Polish radio station Radio Zet, it is now being reported in the press that the Polish Special Services has commenced an investigation into whether the Swiss oil trading subsidiary of a state-controlled oil company has breached the EU’s Russian sanctions in relation to oil.

The Polish parent company is Orlen, which is 49% owned by the Polish state, and the Swiss subsidiary is Orlen Trading Switzerland.

It is alleged that the Swiss subsidiary was incorporated in Switzerland in late 2022 ahead of the relevant changes to EU sanctions which came into effect in early 2023 as a means of continuing to purchase and trade in oil of Russian origin.

The companies are reported as having denied the allegations.

Poland – sanctions investigation into Belarus timber imports

It has been reported today that the Polish Interior Ministry has confirmed an investigation into the alleged importation of timber from Belarus.

The allegations include that the timber was accompanied by forged documentation purporting to show a Kazakhstan origin for the timber.

Other investigations into alleged imports of timber from Russia or Belarus in breach of EU sanctions are underway in:

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