The EC allowed EU countries not to confiscate clothes included in the sanctions list from Russians.
< i>EU countries may not confiscate personal belongings of Russians
European Commission official Daniel Sheridan Ferry said at a briefing in Brussels that EU countries may not confiscate personal belongings of Russian citizens, even if they are on the list of things prohibited for import due to sanctions.
«If you cross the border with personal items, clothing that are on the list of prohibited items, this does not mean circumventing sanctions. This should be taken into account,” — he explained.
On Friday, the European Commission published an explanation according to which the sanctions imposed by the EU against Russia “most likely” apply to personal cars of Russian citizens with Russian registration numbers, and Russians cannot drive their cars into the territory of the European Union, even for tourism purposes.
The explanation cited by the European Commission includes hundreds of prohibited imports from Russia, including clothing, footwear, hygiene products, suitcases and other items. This gave rise to rumors that Russian tourists cannot bring personal items into the European Union, including shampoos and toilet paper.
Recall that EU sanctions are approved by a unanimous decision of the EU Council, which includes representatives of all 27 member states . However, the application of sanctions and their interpretation are the responsibility of individual governments. The European Commission provides recommendations on compliance with restrictive measures.