Alina is Head of the Commission’s Sanctions Unit, within the Directorate-General in charge of Financial Services. She oversees all EU sanctions regimes, from their shaping and negotiation, to guidance on their practical implementation, monitoring their enforcement by Member States and fighting circumvention via third countries. Since February 2022, Alina’s team has been in the front line of the EU’s sanctions reaction to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Having specialised in EU law in Paris, in her previous professional life Alina was a lawyer in a leading Spanish law firm, advising and representing clients in competition law; a member of the European Ombudsman’s legal team; and a lecturer in EU law in Spain and Germany. She is a member of the Barcelona Bar Association.