European Union’s agency to continue monitoring sanctions compliance

June 23, BPN. The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) will “help ensure that sanctions against Russia and Belarus are properly enforced,” its website says.

The statement was issued following a meeting of anti-fraud executives from the EU, Canada, United Kingdom and the United States with NGO and industry leaders in Brussels on June 21 and 22.

Since 2022, OLAF has been monitoring trade flows, analyzing “fraudulent circumvention of import/export sanctions,” and identifying suspicious cases and routes, the agency said. It also stressed its close cooperation with the Ukrainian authorities on the issue.

“OLAF’s aim is to bring together the different authorities, actors and partners that have the power to enforce the sanctions and the information that can help us detect and investigate circumvention attempts,” its head Ville Itälä said.

OLAF will provide intelligence and act as a liaison between national authorities to ensure sanctions enforcement, he noted.