Brussels, Dec 3 (TIWN) The European Commission has proposed making the circumvention of the European Union's (EU) sanctions against Russia a criminal offence.

"Depending on the offense, the individual person could be liable to a maximum penalty of at least five years in prison; companies could be liable to penalties of no less than 5 percent of the total worldwide turnover of the legal person (company) in the business year preceding the fining decision," according to the statement.  "Violating EU sanctions is a serious criminal offense," it said.  Offenses will cover circumventing an EU restrictive measure that includes bypassing or attempting to bypass restrictive measures by concealing funds or concealing the fact that a person is the ultimate owner of funds.  The list of criminal offenses includes making funds or economic resources available to, or for the benefit of, a designated person, entity or body; failing to freeze these funds; enabling the entry of designated people into the territory of a member state or their transit through the territory of a member state.