Tool — EU Sanctions Screening (CFSP Consolidated List)
What it does
Screens names, entities, and vessels against the EU's Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions — maintained under the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). Returns match results with the applicable regulation, listing date, stated grounds, and asset-freeze status. Also flags applicable export-control restrictions under EU Dual-Use Regulation.
Setup / auth
- EU Sanctions Database: Publicly available at https://eeas.europa.eu/topics/sanctions-policy/8442/consolidated-list-of-sanctions_en
- API: EU CFSP offers a bulk XML download and an interactive search; for programmatic access, parse the official XML or use a commercial sanctions-data provider (e.g., Acuris/LSEG World-Check, Refinitiv, Dow Jones).
- Update frequency: EU sanctions are updated as new Council Regulations are adopted (can be daily during active sanctions packages, e.g., Russia). Refresh daily.
Jurisdiction background
EU sanctions framework
EU sanctions operate through Council Regulations under the CFSP framework (Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, TFEU). Two layers:
UN-derived sanctions: EU implements all UN Security Council sanctions (e.g., ISIL/Al-Qaida, DPRK, Iran nuclear) with Council Regulations.
EU-autonomous sanctions: EU adds its own designations not derived from UN action. Key regimes:
- Russia/Ukraine restrictive measures: Regulation (EU) No. 833/2014 (sectoral) and Council Regulation (EU) No. 269/2014 (individual designations) — extensively expanded since February 2022; multiple amending packages
- Belarus: Council Regulation (EU) No. 765/2006
- Syria: Council Regulation (EU) No. 36/2012
- Iran nuclear: Council Regulation (EU) No. 267/2012
- Myanmar, Sudan, Venezuela, and others: Separate regimes
Key legal differences from OFAC
| Feature |
EU CFSP |
US OFAC |
| Scope |
Applies to all EU persons (natural + legal) and any person using EU infrastructure |
Applies to US persons (broader reach via SDN secondary sanctions) |
| "Available indirectly" rule |
EU's asset-freeze extends to making funds available "directly or indirectly" to designated persons — wider than OFAC's 50% Rule |
OFAC's 50% Rule consolidates ownership at 50%+ threshold |
| Export controls |
Dual-use goods: Regulation (EU) 2021/821 overlaps with sanctions |
EAR (Bureau of Industry and Security) is separate from OFAC |
| Breach penalties |
Varies by member state; criminal and civil in most |
Civil up to $1M per violation; criminal in serious cases |
| Derogations |
EU permits specific derogation requests to competent national authorities |
OFAC OTAC / specific license equivalent |
Output schema
{
"query": "Ivanov, Dmitry Alexandrovich",
"queryDate": "2026-05-14",
"cleared": false,
"hits": [
{
"id": "EU-RU-0456",
"name": "IVANOV Dmitry Alexandrovich",
"entityType": "individual",
"regulation": "Council Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 (as amended, 14th package)",
"listingDate": "2023-12-13",
"grounds": "Support for actions undermining the territorial integrity of Ukraine",
"assetFreezeStatus": "active",
"travelBan": true,
"matchConfidence": "high"
}
],
"exportControlFlags": [
"Subject of EU sectoral restrictions; check Annex VII of Reg 833/2014 for goods/services restrictions"
]
}
Screening methodology
Name matching
- Apply fuzzy matching for transliterated names (Cyrillic, Arabic, Persian, Chinese → Latin script may vary)
- Screen aliases, former names, and AKA entries from the consolidated list
- For Arabic-script names: screen both Arabic original and all Latin transliterations in the record
- Flag close matches (confidence 70–95%) for human review; do not automatically clear
Entity screening
- Screen both the legal entity name and all UBO/PSC chains to 25%+ ownership level (EU "available indirectly" rule)
- For GCC-owned entities: screen the GCC beneficial owners against the list (relevant for Russian-connected capital routed through Gulf structures)
- Check for EU-listed vessels in shipping/commodities transactions (separate vessel list)
Always cross-check with
For comprehensive sanctions clearance in Gulf and MENA transactions, always run parallel checks:
| List |
Tool |
Why |
| UN Consolidated Sanctions |
[[tool-un-sanctions]] |
UN lists are binding on all UN members including MENA states |
| OFAC SDN + Sectoral |
[[tool-ofac-sanctions]] |
US secondary sanctions reach Gulf transactions involving USD or US persons |
| HM Treasury (UK) |
— |
Post-Brexit UK maintains its own OFSP list; applies to London counterparties |
| UAE Executive Office |
— |
UAE's own sanctions list (mandatory for UAE-nexus transactions) |
Limits & escalation
- A "cleared" result is not a guarantee of no sanctions nexus — it means no match on the screened lists as of the search date.
- Sanctions change rapidly (especially Russia/Ukraine). Do not rely on a screening more than 24 hours old for active transactions.
- Complex ownership structures or transactions with a high Russia/Belarus/Iran nexus should be escalated to a specialist sanctions lawyer.
- This tool is an AI-assisted screening aid; it does not constitute legal advice on sanctions compliance.
Related skills
- [[tool-un-sanctions]]
- [[tool-ofac-sanctions]]
- [[research-kyc-ubo]]
- [[kb-sanctions-law-mena]]
1---2name: tool-eu-sanctions3description: Use when screening individuals, entities, or vessels against the EU Consolidated Financial Sanctions List (CFSP) for AML/KYC, transaction clearance, or regulatory compliance. Covers EU-specific designations layered on top of UN sanctions — Russia/Ukraine (Reg 833/2014), Belarus, Syria, Iran nuclear — with the wider EU "available indirectly" rule and export-control dual-use goods overlap. Always cross-check with UN, OFAC, and UK HMT lists for Gulf transactions.4license: MIT5---67# Tool — EU Sanctions Screening (CFSP Consolidated List)89## What it does1011Screens names, entities, and vessels against the EU's Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions — maintained under the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). Returns match results with the applicable regulation, listing date, stated grounds, and asset-freeze status. Also flags applicable export-control restrictions under EU Dual-Use Regulation.1213## Setup / auth1415- **EU Sanctions Database:** Publicly available at https://eeas.europa.eu/topics/sanctions-policy/8442/consolidated-list-of-sanctions_en16- **API:** EU CFSP offers a bulk XML download and an interactive search; for programmatic access, parse the official XML or use a commercial sanctions-data provider (e.g., Acuris/LSEG World-Check, Refinitiv, Dow Jones).17- **Update frequency:** EU sanctions are updated as new Council Regulations are adopted (can be daily during active sanctions packages, e.g., Russia). Refresh daily.1819## Jurisdiction background2021### EU sanctions framework2223EU sanctions operate through **Council Regulations** under the CFSP framework (Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, TFEU). Two layers:24251. **UN-derived sanctions:** EU implements all UN Security Council sanctions (e.g., ISIL/Al-Qaida, DPRK, Iran nuclear) with Council Regulations.26272. **EU-autonomous sanctions:** EU adds its own designations not derived from UN action. Key regimes:28 - **Russia/Ukraine restrictive measures:** Regulation (EU) No. 833/2014 (sectoral) and Council Regulation (EU) No. 269/2014 (individual designations) — extensively expanded since February 2022; multiple amending packages29 - **Belarus:** Council Regulation (EU) No. 765/200630 - **Syria:** Council Regulation (EU) No. 36/201231 - **Iran nuclear:** Council Regulation (EU) No. 267/201232 - **Myanmar, Sudan, Venezuela, and others:** Separate regimes3334### Key legal differences from OFAC3536| Feature | EU CFSP | US OFAC |37|---|---|---|38| **Scope** | Applies to all EU persons (natural + legal) and any person using EU infrastructure | Applies to US persons (broader reach via SDN secondary sanctions) |39| **"Available indirectly" rule** | EU's asset-freeze extends to making funds available "directly or **indirectly**" to designated persons — **wider than OFAC's 50% Rule** | OFAC's 50% Rule consolidates ownership at 50%+ threshold |40| **Export controls** | Dual-use goods: Regulation (EU) 2021/821 overlaps with sanctions | EAR (Bureau of Industry and Security) is separate from OFAC |41| **Breach penalties** | Varies by member state; criminal and civil in most | Civil up to $1M per violation; criminal in serious cases |42| **Derogations** | EU permits specific derogation requests to competent national authorities | OFAC OTAC / specific license equivalent |4344## Output schema4546```json47{48 "query": "Ivanov, Dmitry Alexandrovich",49 "queryDate": "2026-05-14",50 "cleared": false,51 "hits": [52 {53 "id": "EU-RU-0456",54 "name": "IVANOV Dmitry Alexandrovich",55 "entityType": "individual",56 "regulation": "Council Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 (as amended, 14th package)",57 "listingDate": "2023-12-13",58 "grounds": "Support for actions undermining the territorial integrity of Ukraine",59 "assetFreezeStatus": "active",60 "travelBan": true,61 "matchConfidence": "high"62 }63 ],64 "exportControlFlags": [65 "Subject of EU sectoral restrictions; check Annex VII of Reg 833/2014 for goods/services restrictions"66 ]67}68```6970## Screening methodology7172### Name matching7374- Apply fuzzy matching for transliterated names (Cyrillic, Arabic, Persian, Chinese → Latin script may vary)75- Screen aliases, former names, and AKA entries from the consolidated list76- For Arabic-script names: screen both Arabic original and all Latin transliterations in the record77- Flag close matches (confidence 70–95%) for human review; do not automatically clear7879### Entity screening8081- Screen both the legal entity name and all UBO/PSC chains to 25%+ ownership level (EU "available indirectly" rule)82- For GCC-owned entities: screen the GCC beneficial owners against the list (relevant for Russian-connected capital routed through Gulf structures)83- Check for EU-listed vessels in shipping/commodities transactions (separate vessel list)8485## Always cross-check with8687For comprehensive sanctions clearance in Gulf and MENA transactions, always run parallel checks:8889| List | Tool | Why |90|---|---|---|91| UN Consolidated Sanctions | [[tool-un-sanctions]] | UN lists are binding on all UN members including MENA states |92| OFAC SDN + Sectoral | [[tool-ofac-sanctions]] | US secondary sanctions reach Gulf transactions involving USD or US persons |93| HM Treasury (UK) | — | Post-Brexit UK maintains its own OFSP list; applies to London counterparties |94| UAE Executive Office | — | UAE's own sanctions list (mandatory for UAE-nexus transactions) |9596## Limits & escalation9798- A "cleared" result is not a guarantee of no sanctions nexus — it means no match on the screened lists as of the search date.99- Sanctions change rapidly (especially Russia/Ukraine). Do not rely on a screening more than 24 hours old for active transactions.100- Complex ownership structures or transactions with a high Russia/Belarus/Iran nexus should be escalated to a specialist sanctions lawyer.101- This tool is an AI-assisted screening aid; it does not constitute legal advice on sanctions compliance.102103## Related skills104105- [[tool-un-sanctions]]106- [[tool-ofac-sanctions]]107- [[research-kyc-ubo]]108- [[kb-sanctions-law-mena]]
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