Brussels, 21/08/2013 (Agence Europe) - The Russian authorities have decided to postpone stricter measures for the control of road freight until 14 September (instead of 14 August as initially planned). This therefore goes against the United Nations TIR convention (international carriage of goods by road), according to European Commissioner for Taxation Algirdas Semeta. Semeta made his concerns known in a letter to the head of the Russian customs service, Andrey Belyanov, at the end of July (see EUROPE 10896). Since then, the EU has kept up pressure, with Semeta speaking again on the telephone on 8 August so as to reiterate his concerns about the new measures that are planned such as communicating the transit itinerary, the deposit of financial guarantees or the obligation for lorries to be escorted to the final destination.
Semeta insists on a solution being found in line with the TIR convention. With the entry into force of the new measures being postponed by a month, the experts will have more time to unlock the situation before the meeting of the TIR executive board at the end of August.
For their part, road transporters have not spared their efforts to sway the Russian authorities. A delegation from the International Road Transport Union (IRU), led by its secretary general Umberto de Pretto, has also held talks with Belyanov on this thorny issue. A joint working group has been set up and several meetings are still to take place this month. (MD/transl.fl)