On 7 December 2020, Council Decision 2020/1999 (the Council Decision) and Council Regulation 2020/1998 (the Council Regulation) concerning restrictive measures against serious human rights violations and abuses were published in the EU Official Journal. Together, these two texts set up a regime allowing the EU to impose targeted sanctions on individuals, entities and bodies responsible for, involved in or associated with serious human rights violations and abuses around the world. More