Tall system also in Latvia - increasing of the costs of hauliers

Tall system will be launched also on Latvia´s roads at 1st July 2014. Latvia as one of the last EU countries will launch tall system on their roads. Latvian hauliers are expecting increasing of their costs about 5 % that must be added to their rates for the transport.

Latvian Government refers to the fact, that their country is one of the last countries of EU without tall system and surrounding country like Belarus launched the tall system in 2012, Russia is planning to launch the tall system in 2015 and also Ukrainian Government is negotiating tall system that should be launched in short future. Yield of the tall system should be used for improving of road infrastructure.

FCS RF EXTENDS ILLEGAL TIR RESTRICTIONS TO FINNISH-RUSSIAN BORDER

Based on information from the website of the Federal Customs Service of the Russian Federation (FCS RF), TIR Carnets will no longer be accepted in the North-West region at the Finnish-Russian border (Customs office of Torfyanovka) as of 20 March 2014.

Transport operators travelling through this high-traffic border crossing point between Europe and Russia will now be obliged to purchase additional national guarantees. The IRU therefore strongly advises all transport operators driving to, from and across Russia, to use the IRU Recommendations for TIR Carnet Holders (EN ¦ RU) in case TIR Carnets are illegally refused by Russian Customs officers.

This additional illegal decision by the FCS RF is in direct violation of the TIR Convention, as well as several Court decisions rendered by the Supreme Arbitration Court of Russia. It also defies instructions from the Russian Government taken in relation to TIR in the past few months and constitutes another worrying sign for the business climate in Russia.

ILLEGALITY OF RUSSIAN RESTRICTIVE MEASURES ON TIR RECONFIRMED

Further to the recent decision by the Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation that allegations used by the Federal Customs Service of Russia (FCS RF) and its Chairman, to justify TIR restrictions on Russian territory, are inconsistent with reality and defamatory (case number A40-134939/2013PDF document), the Supreme Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation on 24 February once again judged the FCS RF’s decisions and letters issued as from 14 October 2013 invalid, reconfirming the illegality of the restrictions on TIR imposed by the FCS RF (case number VAS-17458/2013). Further to this significant decision by the highest judicial body of Russia, the IRU has reiterated its appeal to President Putin to ensure that the Chairman of the FCS RF fully respects this decision and confirms the reinstatement of the full functioning of the TIR System for import, transit and export on the entire territory of the Russian Federation with immediate effect. Source: IRU website 26/2/2014