STATEMENT: Economic players in Dominica and the wider Caribbean are directly affected by new European Union (EU) rules on criminalising the violation of EU sanctions

Economic players in Dominica and the wider Caribbean are among the parties in countries who are now directly affected by the new EU rules which came into effect on 20^th May 2025 in all of the Member States, including France and its overseas territories and departments like Martique, Guadeloupe, St Martin, St Bart, etc. These new rules apply particularly in areas of serious crime of restrictive measures with a cross-border dimension consequent to these offences. Indeed, in many of my past publications, I have spoken of some of the restrictive measures which include, but are not limited to, money laundering, corruption, computer crime, counterfeiting of means of payment, etc… And, any violation of these restrictive measures is now a serious crime in all of the EU member states, as well as in the consequent jurisdiction(s) in which these violations have occurred in financial and economic transactions with third countries (those who are not members of the EU) for example, Dominica and the wider Caribbean, US, UK, etc…) As regards to the application of the types of restrictive measures in financial and economic services which is to be taken with a broad brush, they include, but are not limited to, Sellers in third countries who have limited themselves to a local presence but who wish to reach global/international Buyers. In conclusion, as published in my LinkedIn post of Friday 16^th May 2025, the consequences of these new rules are that they affect both natural persons (individuals) and legal persons (companies, corporate entities and business entities) without exception in all cross-border transactions. Hence, these rules apply to all parties in all cross-border transactions locally and / or globally.