The EU has routinely mentioned the human rights situation in the DPRK bilaterally and through United Nations (UN) bodies, including co-sponsoring country resolutions.

[5] The EU has implemented UN Security Council resolutions 1718 (2006), 1874 (2009), 2087 (2013), 2094 (2013), 2270 (2016), 2321 (2016), 2356 (2017), 2371 (2017) and 2375 (2017) and has also adopted additional autonomous measures that complement and reinforce the UN-based sanctions.

In March 2002, the DPRK's trade minister visited certain EU member states, including Belgium, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Sweden, and the country has also been known to send short-term trainees to Europe.

The EU does not permit the export or import of many natural ground resources to the DPRK (i.e. coal, iron ore, gold, silver, etc.).

[6] In addition, the EU forbids the export or import of statues, helicopters, vessels, banknotes and coinage, luxury goods, textiles, aviation and rocket fuel, petroleum, natural gas, and seafood from or to the DPRK.