The EU and North Korea: sanctions alone are not enough

On 16 October 2017, amidst continuing tensions surrounding North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes, the European Union adopted a new set of economic sanctions against the country. These sanctions are the strongest so far, including a total ban on any investments in North Korea. The measures aim to cut off Pyongyang’s access to foreign currency, which it might use to invest in weapons programmes and luxury goods for its elite.

The new EU sanctions are a logical response to North Korea’s continuing provocations. However, this publication argues that it is unlikely these sanctions will make Pyongyang changing its course. Previous rounds of sanctions had little effect. Hence, the EU should look ahead, and consider next steps. Follow-up policies regarding the effectiveness of sanctions implementation, de-escalation, and contingency planning are desirable as well. The publication can be downloaded here.