The entry into force of the agreement means, above all, the harmonisation of risk assessment and sanctions monitoring principles and processes, which is a significant step in strengthening the economic and political stability of the region. Under the cooperation agreement, control of border crossings will be strengthened in order to improve the security of the eastern border of the EU and to help those crossing the border, including businesses, to better navigate the restrictive measures in place.
Ursula Riimaa, the Deputy Director General for Customs at the Estonian Tax and Customs Board, stresses the importance of the cooperation agreement: “As in the case of a chain, customs is only as strong as its weakest link and effective cooperation is necessary to avoid weakness. The common goal of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania is to ensure that prohibited goods and technology do not reach Russia or Belarus, and that the goods the sale of which could bring significant revenue to Russia and thereby help Russia continue its war against Ukraine, are not delivered to the EU. In our view, rapid exchange of information between customs officials and harmonised requirements for customs documents and additional data will significantly improve the monitoring of the implementation of sanctions, as well as reduce the possibilities for circumvention of sanctions.”
- In December 2023, the joint declaration of customs cooperation was approved by the prime ministers of all three Baltic countries. Symbolically, the cooperation agreement was signed by the directors general of customs authorities on 26 January 2024, when customs officials celebrated International Customs Day.
- On 9 May 2024, Finland and Poland joined the cooperation agreement of the Baltic states.
