Rules of the road for the EU’s secondary sanctions
With its 11th sanctions package, the EU will enter the realm of secondary sanctions. It needs to set some ground rules for their use
Experts & Staff
Filip Medunic
Programme Coordinator, European Power programme
Areas of expertise
Geo-economics, sanctions policy, German and European foreign and security policy
Languages
German, English, Spanish, Croatian/Serbian/Bosnian, some French
Biography
Filip Medunic is the European Power programme coordinator.
Previously, he was the l
He holds a Master’s degree in International Affairs from the Hertie School of Governance, Berlin as well as BA in Management, Philosophy & Economics from the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management.
Prior to joining ECFR, Medunic was a trainee with the Council of the European Union and working student at the Centre for International Peace Operations in Berlin.
Damage done: Ways to measure European sanctions’ success against Russia
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The Kremlin’s energy warfare
Putin is entertaining the idea of total economic war to force the EU weaken its sixth package of sanctions on Russia. Europeans should stay united and call what is likely to be a bluff.
Europe’s Russian energy dilemma
The EU should adopt a phased approach to energy sanctions on Russia. This would be more effective than a rushed embargo and would help preserve European unity.
Tough trade: The hidden costs of economic coercion
The EU needs to develop an Anti-Coercion Instrument that acts as a powerful economic deterrent, but this alone will not sufficiently protect Europe against economic coercion
Russia’s ‘gas pivot’ to Asia: How Europe can protect itself and pursue the green transition
Europeans need to pay closer attention to Russia’s growing opportunities to sell gas to China and other countries in Asia – otherwise they could be left even more at Moscow’s mercy
A glimpse of the future: The Ever Given and the weaponisation of choke-points
In a future, states will likely become more transactional and try to force changes in behaviour from others in exchange for the use of a platform or supply chain
Publications
Tough trade: The hidden costs of economic coercion
The EU needs to develop an Anti-Coercion Instrument that acts as a powerful economic deterrent, but this alone will not sufficiently protect Europe against economic coercion
Articles
Rules of the road for the EU’s secondary sanctions
With its 11th sanctions package, the EU will enter the realm of secondary sanctions. It needs to set some ground rules for their use
Damage done: Ways to measure European sanctions’ success against Russia
The EU and its member states are applying tools of economic statecraft. Now is the time for a full assessment of how well they have worked
Bond villains: The European Central Bank’s new strategy
If the ECB is disciplined in its use of the recently announced Transmission Protection Instrument, this could turn out to be exactly what Europe needs
Code of coercion: A European sanctions doctrine
The EU needs a sanctions doctrine – a framework to set out the goals, means, and risks for the use of economic measures
The EU’s sixth sanctions package: A battle of narratives
In the wake of the EU’s latest set of sanctions, European leaders should work quickly to take control of the narrative around sanctions
The Kremlin’s energy warfare
Putin is entertaining the idea of total economic war to force the EU weaken its sixth package of sanctions on Russia. Europeans should stay united and call what is likely to be a bluff.
Europe’s Russian energy dilemma
The EU should adopt a phased approach to energy sanctions on Russia. This would be more effective than a rushed embargo and would help preserve European unity.
Russia’s ‘gas pivot’ to Asia: How Europe can protect itself and pursue the green transition
Europeans need to pay closer attention to Russia’s growing opportunities to sell gas to China and other countries in Asia – otherwise they could be left even more at Moscow’s mercy
A glimpse of the future: The Ever Given and the weaponisation of choke-points
In a future, states will likely become more transactional and try to force changes in behaviour from others in exchange for the use of a platform or supply chain
Promoting the international role of the euro: Ideas for substantive progress and greater sovereignty
Strengthening the euro would reduce the power imbalance between Europe and its international partners and competitors
In the media
Both companies [Carlsberg and Danone] were in the process of selling their Russian assets. This process, the potential revenue thereof, and a possible reduction in the workforce have now been stopped
Filip Medunic comments on Russia’s decision to grab the shares of Danone and Carlsberg
It is not realistic to close all the loopholes. Nor is it realistic to have sanctions as a kind of miracle solution in your foreign policy. It’s not going to eliminate all difficult decisions, it can
Filip Medunic comments on the use of sanctions against Russia
The achievement of political goals cannot always be measured in economic terms. Clearly measurable goals are difficult to define, and an overall assessment of the success of sanctions is difficult.
Filip Medunic argues that sanctions are a tool of foreign policy, but they are based on economic measures that cause costs
The EU and the West in general have not yet achieved this overarching foreign policy goal and the collapse of the Russian economy has not materialised
Filip Medunic’s analysis on the impact of economic sanctions against Russia
The sanctions had an impact on the Russian economy, although less then expected. (…) I think expecting a collapse of the Russian economy was simply unrealistic
Interview to Filip Medunic on the consequences of the sanctions on the Russian and European economies