Poland Explains Why It Banned Imports Of Cars To Belarus

The answer of the Ministry of Finance.

At the end of March, Poland suddenly banned the import of cars on transit numbers with engine capacity of more than 1.9 litres into Belarus.

The Polish authorities did not say what caused such a ban, how it will operate and who it will apply to - none of this. This is what the Ministry of Finance of Poland replied to the enquiry of "Deutsche Welle".

They called the ban "effective measures to eradicate the practice of circumventing sanctions". As can be understood from the official response, Belarus is considered a high-risk country, known for helping to circumvent sanctions.

The agency referred to the EU Council regulations of 2014, which prohibits "conscious and deliberate participation in activities" to circumvent sanctions restrictions. The need to provide a certificate from the car manufacturer at the border is explained by the requirements of the customs code."

The journalists asked to answer why the ban applies specifically to cars with engine displacement of more than 1.9 litres, for what reason this measure is being introduced now and affects only exports to Russia.

The Polish authorities did not provide details on these issues.