EU slams US on unilateralism, breach of agreements regarding Cuba

The European Union swiftly slammed the U.S. after the Trump administration on Wednesday lifted a long-standing ban against U.S. citizens filing lawsuits against foreign companies that use properties seized by the Cuban government.

The U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned at a news conference that "Any person or company doing business in Cuba should heed this announcement."

But in Brussels, the European Union quickly issued a statement saying it "reiterates its strong opposition to the extraterritorial application of unilateral Cuba-related measures that are contrary to international law."

EU's High representative for foreign affairs and security policy Federica Mogherini [File photo: AFP/Kenzo Tribouillard]

The U.S. decision "is also a breach of the United States' commitments undertaken in the EU-US agreements of 1997 and 1998, which have been respected by both sides without interruption since then. In those agreements, the U.S. committed to waive Title III of the Helms-Burton Act and the EU, inter alia, suspended its case in the World Trade Organisation against the U.S.," said EU's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmstrom in the statement.

There has been a waiver, implemented by both Republican and Democratic presidencies in the U.S., to protect foreign companies from lawsuits in the U.S. on related matters. Washington's move on Wednesday upends that practice, and may affect European businesses in Cuba.

"The EU will consider all options at its disposal to protect its legitimate interests, including in relation to its WTO rights and through the use of the EU Blocking Statute," Brussels said in the statement, adding "The Statute prohibits the enforcement of U.S. courts judgements relating to Title III of the Helms-Burton Act within the EU, and allows EU companies sued in the U.S. to recover any damage through legal proceedings against U.S. claimants before EU courts."