The European Union is working on a new institutional framework to punish human rights violations around the world. In early December, EU member states endorsed a Dutch proposal to target people and entities that violate human rights with punitive measures such as asset freezes and travel bans. While the European Union has used human rights violations in part to justify sanctions in the past, the Dutch proposal would make the issue the primary trigger of sanctions. The proposal is still in the early stages, and there is not a concrete deadline for approval. In the coming months the European External Action Service will work on the details of the new sanctions regime, which, if implemented, would mark the next step in the evolution of a continental bloc that over the past decades has become more active in sanctioning individuals and entities around the world.