“The Commission interprets the sanctions quite often, because the regulations are complex, cover more than one area, more than one product, and include individuals. There are a lot of those explanations, maybe we don’t always notice them, they are of a technical nature, here, in this case, it is really all-encompassing and I have no doubt that there will be more of those explanations,” J. Neliupšienė told LRT radio on Monday.
On September 5, after the EC submitted an explanation of the enforcement of sanctions, the customs authorities have not allowed cars with Russian registration numbers into Lithuania since last Monday, except for transit to and from Kaliningrad.
The general director of the customs department, Darius Žvironas, says that the main purpose of this clarification is to prevent cars from entering the territory of the Community, but it is not clear whether the vehicles that have already entered it can be confiscated.
“The main goal of the sanctions package is to prevent those goods from entering the European Union (…) now is the time to think about the second decision – what to do with those cars.” (…) It is silent about the cars, how that interpretation applies, whether it is only valid forward, whether it is valid backwards in time, whether the cars entered before August 8 can be there for some time, or whether they must be confiscated today. All this needs to be clarified,” D. Žvironas told LRT radio on Monday.
According to him, a common European Union or regional decision is necessary, which, once adopted, will not be difficult to implement.
“We are talking about thousands and tens of thousands of cars that are in the European Union, a regional decision is necessary, if not on the scale of the European Union – what to do with them. (…) When that decision is made, it will certainly not create any major technical obstacles to its implementation”, said D. Žvironas.
In his opinion, the decision regarding cars is effective: “In principle, the result has been achieved, in practice the traffic flows are already reduced to a minimum (…) That problem will resolve itself over time.”
According to the interpretation, cars purchased or registered in Russia cannot be admitted to the EU. Among other things, the ban also covers personal belongings, but politicians in Lithuania and other countries have asked for additional clarifications.
According to J. Neliupšienė, the EC clarified the interpretation according to which individual cases can be evaluated by the national institution.
“A person can still carry personal belongings across the border, that criterion of rationality should definitely be applied, and there is also the possibility to evaluate individual cases as exceptional for the national competent institution,” she said on Monday.
Sanctions, according to which cars purchased or registered in Russia and personal belongings cannot enter the EU, are intended to limit the entry of goods from Russia into the Community.
In turn, Lithuania, together with the Baltic States and Poland, has made it difficult for Russians to enter the country and the European Union.
Only persons who meet the criteria approved by the Government are allowed to enter Lithuania: Russian diplomats, dissidents, employees of transport companies, family members of EU citizens, as well as Russians holding residence permits or long-term national visas from Schengen countries.
In addition, Russian citizens can continue to travel to and from the Kaliningrad region via Lithuania via transit trains.
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#Neliupšienė #clarifications #sanctions
Darius žvironas
### Interview with Darius Žvironas, General Director of the Customs Department
**Interviewer:** Thank you for joining us today, Mr. Žvironas. With new reports indicating that luxury British and European cars are entering Russia despite sanctions, how is this affecting your work at the customs department?
**Darius Žvironas:** Thank you for having me. The enforcement of sanctions is indeed a complex issue, especially when it comes to imported vehicles. Our primary goal is to prevent cars with Russian registration numbers from entering the European Union, and we’ve implemented strict measures following recent clarifications from the European Commission.
**Interviewer:** Can you elaborate on the recent customs regulations you mentioned?
**Darius Žvironas:** Certainly. Since early September, we’ve been strictly prohibiting the entry of such vehicles. The European Commission’s clarifications have provided some guidance, but there’s still ambiguity regarding how to deal with cars that were already in the EU before these updates. We have yet to determine if those cars need to be confiscated or how long they can stay.
**Interviewer:** Is there a consensus among EU nations on how to approach these vehicles that are already in the EU?
**Darius Žvironas:** There isn’t a definitive consensus yet. A collective decision across the EU or regions is crucial to manage the thousands of vehicles already within the Union. Once clarity and a collective response are established, we can execute it smoothly without significant technical barriers.
**Interviewer:** What challenges do you foresee in enforcing these regulations?
**Darius Žvironas:** The biggest challenge is the interpretation of the sanctions. While the primary purpose is clear—to prevent new imports—the situation of existing vehicles remains hazy. It will require concerted efforts and possibly additional clarifications from the European Commission to ensure compliance.
**Interviewer:** Lastly, given the current situation, do you think these measures will effectively deter future entries of prohibited vehicles?
**Darius Žvironas:** Yes, I believe they will. The enforcement actions have already substantially reduced the influx of such vehicles. As time passes and we clarify the existing laws, I expect the situation to stabilize and resolve itself.
**Interviewer:** Thank you for your insights, Mr. Žvironas.
**Darius Žvironas:** Thank you for having me.