Norway has decided to ban the entry of passenger cars registered in Russia, said State Secretary Eivind Vad Petersson. Thus, it will become the last European country bordering Russia to take such measures.
“Like Finland, Norway will impose restrictions on the import and use of cars with Russian registration in the country. We are now studying how to do this and will soon present concrete measures”, Petersson said (quoted by Nrk)
Norway is not a member of the EU, but is part of the European Economic Area and a founding member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). Oslo complies with most of the EU sanctions against Russian Federation.
Finland banned cars with Russian license plates on September 16. Customs promised to turn such cars around if they try to enter the country through the border with Norway, as this is also considered a violation of the sanctions. Cars with Russian license plates in Finland were ordered to leave the country by March 16, 2024.
According to a report from the customs service, 81 cars from Russia arrived at the Suomi border over the weekend of September 16–17, and 37 of them were not allowed into the country.
Earlier, entry for passenger cars registered in Russia was banned by the Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The authorities of the latter said that such cars “should be confiscated” in accordance with the European Commission’s interpretation of the sanctions. At the same time, the transit of cars through Lithuania to Kaliningrad Region and back is not subject to restrictions.
Poland has introduced similar measures since September 17. “Now no Russian-registered car, commercial or private, is allowed to enter Poland regardless of whether its owner is a citizen of Russia or another country”, said Interior Ministry Mariusz Kaminski.
Earlier, the European Commission said that entering the EU in Russian-registered cars would be regarded as “illegal imports” regardless of whether the vehicle is used for private or commercial purposes.
