On 19 November, the EU and Cuba held their first dialogue on unilateral coercive measures in Brussels.

Discussions included a general exchange of views regarding unilateral coercive measures and on the positions of Cuba and the EU in international fora on this matter, with a view to strengthening common approaches. The parties also reviewed unilateral sanctions with extraterritorial effect, which are contrary to international law, for both the EU and Cuba.

In this regard they discussed about the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States against Cuba. For its part the EU also provided an up-date of the so-called Blocking Statute (Regulation 2271/96) which is designed to counteract the extraterritorial application of certain third country legislation.

The EU delegation was headed by the Deputy Managing Director for the Americas of the European External Action Service (EEAS), Hugo Sobral, and included Ms. Hilde Hardeman, Head of the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments, as well as representatives of the EEAS sanctions department. Rodolfo Reyes Rodríguez, Director General for Multilateral Issues and International Law of the Cuban Ministry for Foreign Affairs led the Cuban side, and was accompanied by Cuban Ambassador to the EU Norma Goicochea Estenoz, as well as other officials of the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Representatives of EU Member States also participated in the Dialogue as observers.

This Dialogue on unilateral coercive measures was preceded by a civil society seminar on 16 November where representatives of Cuban and European NGOs exchanged views on the extraterritorial dimension of the effects of the US embargo on the Cuban population’s health.
Background

The Dialogue on unilateral coercive measures was held under the EU-Cuba Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (PDCA), which was signed in December 2016 and entered into provisional application on 1 November 2017.

The Dialogue on unilateral coercive measures is one of five political Dialogues that HRVP Mogherini and Cuban Foreign Minister Rodriguez decided to launch during the first EU-Cuba Ministerial Joint Council under the PDCA in May 2018. The other political dialogues cover the topics of human rights, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, non-proliferation and the fight against illegal arms trade.

At the UN General Assembly, EU Member States on 1 November 2018 voted unanimously in favour of a resolution calling for an end to the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba. The EU Explanation of Vote can be found at https://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/un-new-york/53167/eu-explanation-vote-united-nations-general-assembly-ending-economic-commercial-and-financial_en.