The European Union Court of Justice has ruled that allows the confiscation of cars belonging to Russian citizens that were imported into EU countries in violation of the sanctions regime. Such vehicles are not subject to registration, and the very fact of their import can be grounds for seizure. This is reported by DW, writes UNN.
Details
As follows from the decision of the European Union Court of Justice in Luxembourg, cars of Russian citizens imported into the EU in violation of the sanctions regime are not subject to registration and may be seized by the authorities. Thus, the request for a preliminary ruling from the Düsseldorf Finance Court of September 4, 2024, was satisfied.
The case was initiated by a lawsuit filed by a Russian citizen residing in Düsseldorf against local customs authorities. He tried to register a used car he had brought from Russia, but customs refused to process it and seized the vehicle, citing EU sanctions decisions.
The EU Court's decision of February 5, 2026, also states that the restrictions imposed by the European Union on the import of goods from Russia apply to all items included in the list of prohibited trade names of the EU Council's sanctions act. Thus, the very fact of importing sanctioned goods is sufficient grounds for applying restrictive measures, including refusal of registration and confiscation.
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