FIDI has helped clarify confusion about the legality of moving household goods across Russian borders, after concerns were raised by Affiliates and non-Affiliates about trucks being held up at the Finnish border.
One non-Affiliate said one of its trucks had been delayed for 10 days on the Russian/Finnish border. The truck contained household goods (HHGs), five of which were destined for FIDI members in the Netherlands, Finland and Norway – and, while HHGs are not on the EU sanctions list, individual items within the consignment are on the list.
FIDI made enquiries to agents in other countries bordering Russia and found that none had encountered similar issues. One highlighted the following section of the EU sanctions ruling:
The prohibition in paragraph 1 shall not apply to items which are necessary for the functioning of diplomatic and consular representations of the Union and of the Member States, including delegations, embassies and missions, or for the personal use of nationals of Member States and their immediate family members.
Finnish customs eventually allowed the delayed truck to cross the border, following clarification by the country’s foreign ministry.
Photo by Gabriel Santos on Unsplash
