Starting from Tuesday, July 16, persons with vehicles registered in Belarus – passenger cars – are prohibited from entering the European Union (EU) through the border crossing points of Latvia with Belarus and Latvia with Russia, as reported by the Delfi portal with reference to the State Tax Service (VID). The ban comes into force after midnight. This restriction was introduced in accordance with established legal acts of the European Union and clarifications of the European Commission (EC) as part of the eighth package of sanctions against Russia, within which restrictions were also introduced in relation to Belarus. It is now prohibited to import from Belarus such goods that allow Belarus to diversify its sources of income, thanks to which the country can participate in Russian aggression against Ukraine. This applies to goods produced in Belarus or exported from Belarus – including passenger cars. Accordingly, from July 16, 2024, persons are prohibited from entering the territory of the Republic of Latvia using vehicles registered in the Republic of Belarus. This entry ban will not apply to vehicles intended for use by diplomatic and consular institutions, including delegations, embassies and missions. Other persons driving vehicles registered in Belarus will be denied entry into the EU across the state border of Latvia. A person registered in Belarus with a vehicle will have to return back to the country from which he planned to enter Latvia. If a person refuses to comply with the instructions of the customs authorities, including returning to Belarus or Russia, decisions may be made to confiscate the vehicle in accordance with customs regulations. The Ministry of Justice indicated that it is currently developing and submitting to the Sejm Commission on National Economy, Agrarian, Environmental and Regional Policy a bill on amendments to legal regulation that will prohibit the presence on the territory of Latvia of vehicles registered in Belarus registered in Belarus, including the transit crossing of state borders. It is planned that in case of evasion of compliance with regulatory requirements, confiscation of vehicles registered in Belarus will follow in favor of Ukraine, supporting Ukrainians in their struggle for the independence of their country. A similar regulation developed by the Ministry of Justice is already in force in Latvia for vehicles registered in Russia. “Cars from the aggressor country, Russia, are already prohibited in Latvia. At the same time, we see that cars registered in Belarus are often used to circumvent sanctions imposed on Russia,” said Minister of Justice Inese Libiņa-Egnere (JV). “Belarus is guilty, along with Russia, of committing genocide against the Ukrainian people by providing political and military support, as well as allowing its infrastructure to be used to carry out attacks, so Latvia needs to act. The decision taken at the level of the European Union suggests that from now on, crossing the border by vehicle , registered in Belarus, and his stay in Latvia will be a violation of sanctions. It is logical that we will agree on the regulation applicable to Belarus and Russia,” Libiņa-Egnere believes. “At the same time, supporting the democratic movement of Belarus, the Ministry of Justice, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will continue to look for solutions to situations where Belarusian oppositionists seek refuge in Latvia,” the head of the Latvian Ministry of Justice emphasized. The planned changes to regulations will provide for the obligation of owners of vehicles with Belarusian registration numbers who entered the territory of Latvia to re-register these vehicles in the Republic of Latvia within a specified period of time. The consequences and responsibilities of persons for failure to comply with this requirement will also be established. In addition, the possibility of the owners of these vehicles evading responsibility for failure to comply with traffic rules will be eliminated. If the vehicle is not re-registered or does not leave the territory of Latvia, sanctions will follow, including confiscation of the vehicle. It is planned that the use of vehicles registered in Belarus in road traffic will be prohibited even for transit crossing the territory of Latvia. It is planned that if a Belarusian vehicle unregistered in Latvia is used in road traffic, it will be confiscated and transferred free of charge to Ukraine for the general support of Ukrainian society in the fight against the aggressor. Persons will be allowed to return from the EU to Belarus in passenger vehicles registered in Belarus, as long as they are not declared as goods and are used only as a means of transportation. With recent changes in legal acts, transportation bans have also been expanded. It was previously established that any road transport enterprise based in Belarus is prohibited from transporting goods by road in the EU, including transit. From 1 July 2024, the ban also applies to the transport of goods within the EU by road transport undertakings using trailers or semi-trailers registered in Belarus – even if the tractors of these trailers or semi-trailers are trucks registered in other countries.
