Finland: EU Commission suggests to Finland to extend its dispensation on personal beer imports from Russia

The EU Commission has proposed that Finland's dispensation to limit personal imports of beer from Russia be extended until the end of next year. The current permit to impose restrictions on the import by travellers of tax-free beer from non-EU countries runs out at the end of December.
The extension of the dispensation still needs to be authorised by other EU member states, the Finish press reports.

Previously, Finland got permission on limiting personal imports of beer from non-EU countries to 16 litres per person. Should the discussions end in defeat for the Finnish government, the only restrictions on the import of beer will be in the form of the visa requirements for making the trip in the first place, the demand that the visit should be no shorter than 20 hours, and a ceiling of EUR 175 on the value of personal items imported from the country being visited.

Because at present beer costs 70-80 cents per litre in St. Petersburg supermarkets, the limit of EUR 175 would normally mean that it would be possible to import about 220-250 litres of beer.The member states representatives will address the Commission's proposal for the first time today, Wednesday, at an EU Council working group meeting in Brussels. The Council will decide on the matter later.

The Finish Ministry of Finance intends to propose that the dispensation be extended by two years instead of just the 12 months suggested by the Commission. "A year is such a short time. We would have to start applying for another extension immediately", said the Ministry of Finance chief inspector Krista Sinisalo.

According to Sinisalo, the EU Commission plans to change the directive in such a way that the current import restrictions might become permanent. This, however, will take more than a year.
The currently discussed dispensation, the petition for which Finland handed in last year, does not pertain to the imports of alcoholic beverages other than beer. Import restrictions on all other drinks are permanent and common to all EU member-states.

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