Baltic countries' customs authorities agree on uniform application of sanctions against Russia

VILNIUS. Jan 26 (Interfax/BNS) - The heads of the customs services of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia agreed on unified control as it applies to European Union (EU) sanctions against Russia and Belarus.

The agreement confirms the agreement signed by the prime ministers of the Baltic countries on December 20 last year, the Lithuanian Customs Department said on Friday.

The customs authorities of the Baltic countries have agreed to tighten control over sanctioned goods exported to Russia and Belarus or transiting through them to third countries, for example, by requiring a declaration from the manufacturer of the goods.

Previous reports said that Prime Ministers Ingrida Simonyte, Evika Silina and Kaia Kallas entered into an agreement on December 20 obliging them to ensure a unified approach to customs inspection and information exchange. The relevant authorities in the Baltic countries are required to start applying this regional approach no later than January 31, 2024.

The countries committed that their customs authorities would agree to follow common investigative techniques, request additional documentation on transit or the end use of goods, and additional declarations from manufacturers and exporters to reduce risks of sanctions circumvention.

Since February 2022, the European Union has approved 12 packages of sanctions against Russia. Recently, Western media have reported that the EU has begun preparing a new, thirteenth, package of restrictive measures.