Issue: № 12, 2025
Doi: https://doi.org/10.37634/efp.2025.12.8
Introduction. The paper examines the interaction between the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) of the European Union (EU) and the practice of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in the context of the occupation of Ukrainian territories. Both mechanisms, though different in nature – political and judicial – contribute to a common European response to human rights violations arising from the aggression of russian federation against Ukraine. The purpose of the paper is to identify how the political instruments of the CFSP and the judicial mechanisms of the ECtHR reinforce each other in protecting human rights and upholding international law under conditions of armed conflict and occupation. Results. The research demonstrates that the EU’s restrictive measures, diplomatic engagement, and monitoring missions within the CFSP framework, being in interaction with the ECtHR’s case law on inter-state applications of Ukraine against russia form a comprehensive European response to violations of fundamental rights. CFSP, which is not a human rights mechanism in the strict sense, implements foreign policy support for human rights through diplomatic, sanction, economic and political means. The ECtHR – a classic mechanism for the protection of human rights – ensures the legal responsibility of states for human rights violations. This synergy enhances the effectiveness of both political and legal dimensions of Europe’s human rights system. Moreover, the integration of ECtHR judicial findings into EU foreign policy contributes to the legitimacy of sanctions. Conclusion. Further research should focus on enhancing the coordination between the EU’s political instruments and the judicial mechanisms of the Council of Europe to strengthen a coherent European response to human rights violations. It is also relevant to analyse how CFSP instruments can support the implementation of ECtHR judgments and contribute to restoring justice for victims of occupation. Future studies may include comparative assessments across various regional conflicts and the evaluation of the long-term effectiveness of European human rights strategies.
Keywords : Common Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union, restrictive measures (sanctions), European Court of Human Rights, human rights, russian aggression against Ukraine, sanctions policy, interaction between the EU and the Council of Europe
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