RBC: Russia may extend the ban on the entry of trucks from the EU until July 2023

The government may extend the ban on the entry of trucks from the EU, UK, Norway and Ukraine for another six months, until June 30, 2023, informed RBC with reference to sources.

The ban on the entry of trucks from the EU countries, the UK, Norway and Ukraine was approved by the government at the end of September, entered into force on October 10 and was supposed to be valid until the end of the year. The ban also applied to transit traffic.

On December 5, at a meeting of the Presidium of the Government Commission on Transport, the Ministry of Transport received a proposal to extend the restriction in 2023. First Deputy Prime Minister Andrey Belousov supported this idea, but no exact dates were given.

This was a response to the EU decision regarding the passage of trucks registered in Russia. EU countries stopped allow trucks with Russian and Belarusian plates to pass in mid-April, after the fifth round of sanctions was imposed on Russia. The document said that trucks from Russia and Belarus, which are in the EU, must leave it before April 16. At the same time, the ban did not apply to communication with the Kaliningrad region.

After that, in mid-June, Lithuania stopped allowing trains and trucks with goods that were on the EU sanctions list to Kaliningrad. The ban affected about 50% of all deliveries, in particular, building materials, wood, metal, cement, caviar and alcohol fell under the restrictions. On July 13, the European Commission clarified the situation regarding the transit of goods to the Kaliningrad region from the rest of Russia. According to the recommendations, transit is possible by rail, subject to certain conditions, the transportation of sanctioned goods to the Kaliningrad region by road is not allowed.