European Parliament
A7-0007/2012
Tarja Cronberg  (Verts/ALE ). -
Mr President, I consider this report to be extremely timely, particularly given the restrictive measures recently adopted against Iran. The European Parliament should continuously maintain a high-level debate on the very idea of restrictive measures and their effectiveness or ineffectiveness in achieving the EU’s fundamental objectives of international stability, peace and democracy.
Firstly, the report recommends that the Council develop clear criteria for when restrictive measures are to be applied, and objectives for such measures. In the case of the embargo on Iran, this is exactly what we need.
Secondly, the report is very explicit about the prerequisite that sanctions should not harm the population. This also is important in the case of Iran. The last thing we need is for the Iranian people to consider the EU its enemy.
Finally, I would like to point out that a coherent policy within the EU’s borders is a necessity. I have heard today from a lecturer who contacted the Delegation for relations with Iran to say that he has had EUR 900 frozen by the Bank of Austria, while the Maltese Times has got in touch with me to say that Iran has EUR 2 billion invested in Malta which is not going to be frozen.

