The Danish government has introduced a bill that significantly strengthens penalties for violating sanctions against Russia imposed by the EU.
According to the Danish Ministry of Justice's press service, the proposed law suggests a prison sentence of up to five years for violating sanctions against Russia.
Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard says:
"It is absolutely unacceptable if Danish companies choose to violate EU sanctions against, for example, Russia and Belarus in order to make extra profit. This is something we, from the government's side, want to crack down on. Therefore, we are now proposing a bill that significantly increases the penalties for violations of EU sanctions – and with this bill, we are actually going much further than the EU's minimum rules on the matter. We need to send a clear signal from Denmark that we support the effective enforcement of EU sanctions."
Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen says:
"Sanctions play a crucial role in our foreign and security policy. For example, we use sanctions to target Russia's economy and minimize its capabilities after their unlawful invasion of Ukraine. If someone bypasses sanctions, it has direct consequences for our security. That is why the government is proposing this bill to toughen the penalties for violating sanctions."
Specifically, the proposed bill will increase the penalty range for violations of sanctions under the criminal code. For example, the penalty range will rise from imprisonment of up to 4 months to imprisonment of up to 5 years, while the penalty range will increase from imprisonment of up to 4 years to imprisonment of up to 8 years if the offense occurs under aggravating circumstances.
Furthermore, the bill will ensure that violations of EU sanctions on arms embargoes can be punished with imprisonment of up to 5 years, or up to 8 years under aggravating circumstances.
The bill will also establish regulations that align with parts of EU Directive 2024/1226 on what constitutes punishable offenses and sanctions for violations of EU sanctions. The directive is subject to Denmark's opt-out from EU justice matters.
