Prime Minister Kaja Kallas says that attempts are being made on the border to circumvent the sanctions despite the restrictions, and that the new package of EU sanctions has further increased the risks.
“We need to be sure that the goods crossing our borders are not subject to EU sanctions,” she said. “Replacing today’s risk-based checks with full cargo and vehicle screening will give us greater assurance that goods, which would feed the Russian war machine, do not cross the Estonian border.”
The head of government added that Estonia will continue to negotiate with Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland regarding common requirements and procedures on borders.
In cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior and other agencies, the Ministry of Finance has been instructed to prepare an action plan for the introduction of full customs controls on the external borders of the European Union, on vehicles outbound from Estonia.
Background:
Transit of goods subject to EU sanctions through the Russian Federation is not prohibited. According to the Tax and Customs Board, although such goods are being transported to third countries (incl. the Central Asian states and Belarus) through the Russian Federation, there is no guarantee that the goods are reaching third countries, as there is a suspicion that some of the goods may be remaining in the Russian Federation.
Based on current EU customs rules, the Tax and Customs Board carries out risk-based goods controls on the Union’s external border: all customs documents are subject to automated risk analysis, and in case of suspicion, a more thorough document check and a physical check are carried out within Estonia or on the external border.
