In the midst of controversy surrounding an EU directive on import restrictions, Norway has become the last European country bordering Russia to ban Russian-registered vehicles.
Following the lead of Finland, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, and Poland, Norway has recently implemented a ban on passenger vehicles with Russian license plates.
Norway’s Foreign Ministry state secretary, Eivind Vad Petersson, announced on Tuesday that “Norway will introduce restrictions on importing and using Russian-registered cars.”
Petersson also stated that they are examining the best methods to enforce these restrictions and will promptly determine effective measures.
Unlike the Baltic and Northern European countries that independently enforced their own bans on Russian cars, Norway is not a member of the European Union.
However, Oslo has aligned itself with several EU sanctions against Russia due to its invasion of Ukraine.
The prohibition on entry was issued following the European Commission’s clarification that current regulations forbid the import or transfer of goods from Russia.
Russian opposition activists have argued that these restrictions adversely affect political dissidents, Ukrainian refugees fleeing from Russia, as well as regular Russian citizens.
