Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the full activation of the Helms-Burton (LIBERTAD) Act by the United States

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The European Union deeply regrets the full activation of the 1996 Helms-Burton (LIBERTAD) Act by the United States. The decision to activate Title III, and opening the way for action under Title IV, is a breach of the commitments undertaken in the EU-US agreements of 1997 and 1998, which had been respected by both sides without interruption since then. This will cause unnecessary friction and undermines trust and predictability in the transatlantic partnership.

The EU considers the extra-territorial application of unilateral restrictive measures to be contrary to international law and will draw on all appropriate measures to address the effects of the Helms-Burton Act, including in relation to its WTO rights and through the use of the EU Blocking Statute. The EU will continue to work with its international partners who have also voiced their concerns in this regard.

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