ICC registrar urges European Commission to clarify US sanctions risks
The court wants assurances for companies and NGOs as broader US restrictions are due to take effect in April 2027.
International Criminal Court registrar Osvaldo Zavala Giler has urged the European Commission to provide urgent guidance on US sanctions, saying uncertainty is leaving companies and NGOs unsure whether they can continue supporting the Hague-based institution.
The Trump administration announced blanket sanctions on 9 October 2026, following measures targeting the court’s prosecutors and judges that began in February 2025. The broader restrictions are due to take effect in April 2027.
The EU has supported the court but has not activated its blocking statute, a legal mechanism that would bar EU businesses from observing US sanctions. Dozens of European Parliament lawmakers have backed the court’s request to use it.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told the European Parliament that Brussels would pursue dialogue over the coming months. Zavala Giler said those talks should not delay protection for the court. He suggested that the Commission could meanwhile send letters reassuring companies that they should not follow the US measures.
The registrar said preparations had already required six months of work to replace US technology providers with open-source software and 20 months to remove dollar exposure from financial transactions. The court checked suppliers’ payments for any involvement of US people, banks or currency, required staff to hold European bank accounts and ensured contracts were denominated in euros.
Only a few banks now work with the court, down from tens previously, he said. Zavala Giler also warned that uncertainty about legal protection was affecting NGOs assisting its work, including support for victims in Ukraine and reparations for victims in Uganda.
