EU Updates Russia Sanctions FAQ on Imports of Personal Goods, Vehicles

The EU updated a FAQ under its Russia sanctions regime covering whether Russian nationals may temporarily bring personal goods and vehicles, set out in Annex XXI, into the EU for touristic reasons. The FAQ was originally published last week, in which the bloc said no, noting that its regulations bar the purchase, import or transfer of goods in this annex if they originate in Russia or are exported from Russia (see 2309110018).

The new answer for the FAQ said that per the case law of the European Court of Justice, "sanctions need to be interpreted broadly, among other reasons in order to ensure effectiveness of the adopted prohibitions and avoid circumvention." National authorities are charged with assessing each situation and implementing the prohibitions accordingly, the updated post said.

The EU added that "motor vehicles are a category of goods prone to circumvention, hence national competent authorities need to pay particular attention to them," nothing that national authorities should continue to apply the prohibition in a "proportionate and reasonable manner" for goods with "insignificant circumvention concerns, like personal hygiene items."