Watchdog finds patchy customs controls leave big loopholes in EU Russia trade sanctions

The EU imposed 21 sanction packages against Russia since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, reducing trade from €253bn in 2021 to €58bn in 2022. However, enforcement issues allow sanctioned goods to still enter Russia, including critical technology for weapons. A report by the European Court of Auditors highlighted compliance discrepancies among EU states, with Bulgaria reporting no violations and Latvia 2,100. The findings indicate challenges in monitoring and enforcement of sanctions across member states.