Sanctions help protect international peace and security, and combat terrorism, for example. Sanctions work best when everyone adheres to them. Therefore, the cabinet wants to ensure better compliance and enforcement of international sanctions.

The current Sanctions Act from 1977 is the link between international sanctions and national implementation. This law has hardly been adjusted in the past decade, while the scope and complexity of sanctions have increased. The cabinet aims to enhance the effectiveness of sanctions through the bill by improving implementation and enforcement.

The bill on international sanction measures consists of several components, including (i) more options for administrative enforcement in addition to criminal law, (ii) improved grounds for information exchange, (iii) a Central Reporting Point for Sanctions, (iv) the ability to place notes in certain public registers regarding relationships with sanctioned individuals or organizations, (v) the expansion of current administrative oversight to legal professions, and (vi) a regulation for the management and administration of certain (long-term) frozen assets and economic resources.

With this bill, the cabinet responds to the recommendations in this area from the final report of the National Coordinator for Sanction Compliance and Enforcement from 2022.