The European Union (EU), for the first time in history, will be able to apply sanctions autonomously to Islamic State (IS) and Al-Qaeda jihadist groups, as well as persons and entities associated with or supporting them.

Until now, sanctions could only be applied to persons and entities listed by the United Nations or by EU member states.

Sanctions, agreed by the European Council on Tuesday, include travel bans and asset freezing. Individuals and entities involved in any activity or support with Islamic State (IS) and Al-Qaeda can be targeted, even if they are not on United Nations blacklists.

According to an EU statement, the broad scope of activities that fall under the sanctions comprises planning or perpetrating terrorist attacks; providing financing, oil or arms; having received terrorist training; and recruiting, inciting or publicly provoking acts, among others.

In a separate area of the new law, serious abuses of human rights, such as abduction and rape, is also listed.

The EU will also be able to impose restrictive measures on terrorist-related individuals, especially on so-called foreign fighters, travelling or seeking to travel both out of and into the EU.

According to Europol, more than 5,000 EU nationals have travelled to Syria, one third of them have since returned to Europe. Endit

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