Report warns of Britain's ability to impose sanctions on countries post-Brexit

The UK must urgently address how it plans to maintain sanctions on Russia, North Korea, Syria and other countries post-Brexit or risk losing influence in the world, a report has warned.

The EU Select Committee found the Government’s planned approach to sanctions after leaving the European Union was “untested” and needed to be reconsidered.

It found sanctions were most effective when implemented on a multilateral basis and urged the Government to consider staying aligned with the EU27’s sanction regime.

Official data shows the UK has sanctions of sorts against more than two dozen countries around the world, sometimes under the auspices of the UN, EU or other international partners.

But the committee’s report said: “The influence of the UK on the sanctions policy of its international partners will depend on the extent to which it is able to retain its authority and leadership on key foreign policy dossiers after Brexit.

“Further consideration of the impact of leaving the EU on the UK’s ability to pursue and achieve its foreign policy objectives will be urgently required.”

Setting out how the UK could choose to impose sanctions after Brexit, the committee noted that Norway and Switzerland align themselves with the EU regime.

But while this would preserve the current unity, it would require the UK to implement decisions taken by the remaining 27 EU members without any say over the design of the sanctions.

Following the US approach of “informal engagement” with the EU on sanctions could be valuable but “it is no substitute for the influence that can be exercised through formal inclusion in EU meetings”.

The Government’s preferred approach is an “unprecedented” UK-EU partnership on sanctions, it said.

Their report went on: “The UK has some leverage in that it currently plays a leading role in developing EU sanctions policy, is most active in proposing individuals and entities to be listed, and is home to the largest international financial centre in the bloc.

“But we note that the Government’s approach is untested and it is not yet clear what its proposed arrangements would involve.

“Future co-operation could also be limited by the UK’s new legal framework for sanctions and its post-Brexit position outside the EU’s single market and customs union.

“More broadly, the extent to which the UK and the EU co-operate on sanctions will depend on their future relationship in the wider foreign policy arena. This needs urgent consideration.”