High Representative of the European Union Josep Borrell (L) talks with Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa prior the start of the European Union Council in Brussels on July 17, 2020, as the leaders of the European Union hold their first face-to-face summit over a post-virus economic rescue plan. The EU has been plunged into a historic economic crunch by the coronavirus crisis, and EU officials have drawn up plans for a huge stimulus package to lead their countries out of lockdown.
"Brussels: High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell has said he was deeply concerned over the growing use of sanctions, or the threat of sanctions, by the US against European companies and interests.
"We have witnessed this developing trend in the cases of Iran, Cuba, the International Criminal Court and most recently the Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream projects," Borrell said in a statement on Friday, Xinhua reported.
Emphasizing that "European policies should be determined in Europe not by third countries," Borrell said the EU opposes the use of sanctions by third countries on European companies carrying out legitimate business, and the bloc "considers the extraterritorial application of sanctions to be contrary to international law."
He said the EU is always open to dialogue, but "this cannot take place against the threat of sanctions."