The Anti-Corruption Foundation has demanded the authorities of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia to lift the ban on imports of personal items and cars from Russia.
The Baltic States have banned the entry of cars with Russian registration plates. Their owners have to return with the car or cross the border without it. The authorities of these countries explain the restrictions by the European Commission's directive on the application of anti-war sanctions. However, this blatantly contradicts the aims and principles of the EU sanctions policy.
Restrictions on the importation of goods from Russia have been in force since April 2022. The EU regulations define a specific list of such goods. It includes both industrial raw materials and equipment, as well as clothing and cosmetics. However, the restrictions were never intended for personal use items, only for large quantities of goods imported for sale. The purpose of these sanctions is to prevent Russia from making "significant profits" from the sale of such goods.
On September 8, the European Commission published clarifications to the regulations. It says that cars with Russian registration plates and even clothes and cosmetics bought in Russia for personal use are prohibited from being imported to EU countries. Later, the European Commission clarified that the ban should not apply to personal items. The restrictions are advisory and countries must apply them "in a reasonable manner." This gave reason to interpret the requirements for importing cars and personal items differently, which contradicts the logic of the EU regulations and the goals of the sanctions.
The Anti-Corruption Foundation considers sanctions to be the most important measure to fight Putin's regime. However, they must be applied to the goals of the sanctions. Otherwise, it discredits the idea of sanctions and benefits Putin's propaganda.
We urge the Baltic States to stop this practice. A ban on entering a country in a private car is as absurd as a ban on entering with clothes or a suitcase bought in Russia. It directly harms the effectiveness of economic sanctions against the Putin regime.