In a significant move aimed at bolstering the impact of European Union sanctions on Russia and Belarus, the Prime Ministers of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania jointly declared a commitment to a uniform regional approach for sanctions implementation. The declaration, signed on December 20, 2023, underscores the unique challenges faced by the Baltic States, situated at the external border of the European Union with Russia and Belarus.
Acknowledging the critical importance of closing loopholes and ensuring effective sanctions implementation, the Prime Ministers emphasized the need to disrupt Russia’s ability to continue its unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine. They highlighted that the strict and uniform enforcement of European Union sanctions is not only a matter of regional integrity but crucial for the security of the entire European Union.
The leaders pointed to the European Union’s unprecedented determination and unity since February 2022, resulting in the adoption of twelve packages of sanctions on Russia in response to its aggression against Ukraine. Despite recent measures creating closer alignment in targeting Russia and Belarus, loopholes persist, allowing the circumvention of Russian sanctions through Belarus.
The sanctions, unprecedented in scale and scope, have posed implementation challenges, prompting Russia to devise ways to circumvent these measures. Discrepancies in enforcement and implementation efforts have enabled malign actors to profit from illegal conduct and pose a risk of jurisdiction shopping.
In an effort to eliminate fragmentation and increase the effectiveness of the European Union’s sanctions, the Baltic States have committed to a regional approach for uniform sanctions implementation. The key agreements include:
- Uniform Customs Controls and Information Exchange: The relevant authorities in the Baltic States will adopt the regional approach by January 31, 2024, ensuring uniform customs controls and information exchange.
- Common Approach to Handling Cases: Customs authorities will agree on principles for a common approach when illogical routes of goods are detected. This includes demanding additional documentation concerning the transit or end use of goods and requiring additional declarations from manufacturers and exporters to minimize the risk of circumvention of sanctions.
- Invitation to Other Border States: The Baltic States invite other bordering nations to join them in applying the regional uniform approach towards sanctions implementation.
The leaders emphasized the utmost importance of the Baltic States acting together to ensure the strict and uniform implementation of sanctions. While remaining committed to uniform sanctions implementation at the European Union level, they agreed that, given their unique geographical position, the regional approach should be adopted without unnecessary delay.
