Mr. Declan Smyth:

Yes. The public policy grounds provide some basis on which a state may take measures domestically in the field, for instance, of trade in an area of exclusive competence of the European Union, but it is very narrow. Generally, it has been relied on to address specific public policy issues that arise in a particular member state and that cannot be dealt with across the Union. In this case, the public policy will be respect for international law, and that, of course, applies to the whole Union. Therefore, the use of public policy in this case will be somewhat unique.