UNICORN PRIVATE What is the EU sanctions list and how do you check your clients?
In short
The European Union publishes a consolidated list of people, groups and companies under financial sanctions.
Their funds and economic resources are frozen and nobody in the EU may make funds available to them.
You check it by screening every customer and supplier against the list, with an update every day.
What the list contains
The consolidated list gathers all the people and entities under EU asset freezes, across every sanctions regime: Russia, Belarus, Iran, terrorism, human rights and many more.
Each entry shows names, aliases, dates of birth or registration and the legal act that introduced the measure. Entities owned or controlled by listed parties may also be covered.
Who must check it
EU sanctions apply to:
- Every company incorporated in an EU member state, wherever it operates.
- Every EU national, also abroad, and anyone doing business inside the EU.
- Banks, exporters, distributors and service providers that work with EU counterparties.
Fines and penalties
Statutory maximums we verified on the official texts:
- European Union, Directive 2024/1226: fines on companies of at least 5% of worldwide turnover or €40,000,000, and prison terms of at least 5 years. (source)
- Germany: fines on companies up to €40,000,000. (source)
- Netherlands: fines on companies up to 10% of annual turnover. (source)
Maximum amounts set by law, as published by the authorities linked, checked on October 29, 2026.
Live data from our copy of the list
- EU Consolidated Financial Sanctions List: Entries in the copy we check: 6,269. Last update: November 4, 2026
Official source
How Unicorn Intelligence checks it
Every name you upload or connect is compared with EU financial sanctions list together with all the other lists, every day. You see the source, the date and how similar the name is, so you can decide quickly.
- Upload a list, connect your CRM or type a name.
- We compare each name with the list, also with spelling variants and transliterations.
- Possible matches show the list, the source, the date and the similarity, and you decide.
Check your clients for free
Upload your contacts and see in a few minutes how many names need a closer look. When you sign up you get a gift of $50 in credit.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I find the official EU sanctions list?
The European Commission publishes the consolidated list of financial sanctions on the EU open data portal. The legal acts are published in the Official Journal of the EU.
What are the penalties for breaking EU sanctions?
Each member state sets them. Directive (EU) 2024/1226 sets minimum maximums that national laws must provide; the figures we verified are shown on this page.
Is the EU list the same as the UN list?
No. The EU applies the UN sanctions, but it also adds its own autonomous regimes, so the EU list is longer.
The program can make mistakes. The final responsibility for compliance stays with your company. Unicorn Intelligence is an information tool. Decisions and legal obligations, including sanctions compliance, due diligence and tender participation, remain with the customer.