Following a clarification from the European Commission, Lithuania will not let in any cars with Russian license plates, unless they are bound for Kaliningrad. Owners who defy the ban may see their vehicles confiscated.
Last Friday, the European Commission issued a clarification of the sanctions imposed on Russia, according to which cars with Russian licence plates are not allowed to enter EU territory.
“At the moment, Russian citizens can only cross the border, if they have the right to do so, either by bus or on foot,” says Lithuanian Vice Foreign Minister Jovita Neliupšienė.
An exception applies only for travellers transiting to Kaliningrad, which they can do in their private transport. Otherwise, attempts to enter the Lithuanian territory in a Russia-registered car can lead to problems.
“Anyone crossing the border, whether a Russian citizen or an EU citizen, with plates registered in Russia, if they do not have supporting documents to prove that they transiting to Kaliningrad, they must be aware that their car will be confiscated,” explains Neliupšienė.
The customs service says that, until now, Lithuania has been refusing to let in cars intended for sale. Otherwise, Russian cars could enter the country.
“These cars did not have the commodity status. They are registered there [in Russia], which means that they belong to a person who is registered and lives there,” says customs spokesman Rolandas Jurgaitis. “Now, the new explanation well emphasises that if [a car] is registered in Russia, with Russian plates, it cannot enter.”
According to the European Commission, this is not a new ban, but it has not been applied uniformly by member states until now.
The ban on imports from Russia covers cars, cameras, laptops and hundreds of other everyday items, according to EC spokesman Daniel Ferrie.
According to him, Russians will not be stripped if they come wearing Russian-made clothes, but valuables intended for sale, such as a car, must be treated “more strictly”.
The Commission’s clarification has been requested by Germany, which since the end of June has not only been restricting the entry of Russian cars, but has also been confiscating them inside the country, according to local media.
Mindaugas Savickas, who lives in Germany, tells LRT TV he sees fewer cars with Russian plates on the streets.
“In online forums, people who drive cars with Russian plates are being warned not to go to Germany, because of the risk of confiscation. It also says that those who have entered were urged to try to leave as soon as possible,” says Savickas.
Meanwhile, the ban will not apply to cars with Belarusian license plates. According to the State Border Guard Service, approximately 58,000 cars with Russian plates have entered Lithuania in the last year and a half.
The number of vehicles that left the country is about 51,000, fewer by 7,000. Most of the flow is transit to Kaliningrad.
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