MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The European Union is debating a new bloc-wide body to harmonize the enforcement of sanctions against Russia by all member states, the EU commissioner for financial services said in an interview to the Financial Times out on Sunday.
"The idea of having an overarching view of sanctions and their implementation is one I would support," Mairead McGuinness, of Ireland, said.
The commissioner added that some countries had a "strong infrastructure" on sanctions implementation while others did not. Anything that would improve European oversight and coordination in this regard would be a plus, she noted.
The centrist Renew Europe group in the European Parliament has recently proposed changes to the regulation setting up a planned anti-money laundering authority, Amla, that would create a "central office" for enforcing targeted sanctions, McGuinness said.
The European Commission has also been working with banks and other financial institutions to make sure they do not act too zealously when enforcing financial sanctions, McGuinness admitted. She said banks blocking Russians living in Europe from opening accounts was an overreach.
