Iceland Aligns with EU Belarus Sanctions (2020–present)

Iceland, as a member of the European Economic Area (EEA) and the Schengen Area, has formally aligned itself with EU restrictive measures against Belarus. Although Iceland is not an EU member and is therefore not directly bound by EU Council decisions, it has adopted a consistent policy of aligning with EU sanctions in cases involving serious human rights violations and threats to democratic values.

Mechanism of Alignment

Iceland's alignment with EU sanctions operates through formal declarations by the Icelandic government, which then implements equivalent measures through domestic legislation. For Belarus sanctions, Iceland has aligned with successive EU packages as they have been adopted, implementing travel bans and asset freezes consistent with those of the EU against the same designated individuals and entities. The EU publishes formal "alignment statements" — declarations by the High Representative on behalf of the EU listing which third countries have aligned with specific EU sanctions decisions. Iceland is listed in these statements for all major Belarus sanctions packages.

Scope of Alignment

Iceland's alignment covers:

• Travel bans against all individuals designated under the EU Belarus sanctions framework
• Asset freezes consistent with EU measures
• Participation in Schengen-wide information sharing on sanctioned persons

Iceland has aligned with all major EU Belarus sanctions packages from 2020 onwards, including packages related to the post-election repression, the Ryanair incident, migration instrumentalization, and Belarus's facilitation of Russia's war in Ukraine.

Context

Iceland's alignment with EU sanctions on Belarus — as with its alignment on Russia sanctions following the 2022 invasion — reflects Iceland's strong commitment to the European rules-based order and its values-based foreign policy, despite not holding EU membership.