The port ban: On 8 April, EU countries adopted a ban on the arrival of Russian-flagged ships in EU ports as a reaction to the Russian war in Ukraine. The port union against Russia entered into force in Norway at the beginning of May. This means that Russian ships cannot call at Norwegian ports.Norwegian exception: Unlike the EU, Norway has chosen to specify that all fishing vessels are exempt from the ban, which allows Russian vessels to land fish and make crew changes. This has led to strong criticism, among others They left And right .
sea View
– Was there a mess?
– It was enough for us to take these measures today. It is important for us to have fisheries cooperation with Russia in relation to cod management. This is why we allowed Russian fishing vessels to reach Norwegian ports, says Støre.
– We have paid great attention to this so that it happens within the framework that will apply in Norway. When we squeeze it now and point out that there are three inspection ports they can be in, it is because we believe we have reason to do so, he continues.
TO THE SUMMIT: Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre is currently at a summit in Prague. Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB It will not be free port
Huitfeldt points out that Norway should not be a free port for Russian ships.
– We have been keeping an eye on Russian activity in Norwegian waters and Norwegian ports to prevent Norway from becoming a transit country for the illegal transport of goods to Russia , says Huitfeldt.
Russian ships can only call at the ports of Tromsø, Kirkenes and Båtsfjord. There they will be checked by customs officers.
The changes will take effect shortly.
– When the borders with Europe are increasingly closed, it makes us vulnerable. This increases the risk of illegal activity across Norway. We are closely monitoring developments and are ready to take further measures if necessary, says Huitfeldt.
– What kind of information have you received that increases your control?
– We have been following this situation since the exception was made. As the Foreign Minister mentioned, the situation regarding the war in Ukraine has been developing since it started in February and we have had to make new assessments along the way on the sanctions rules and access that Russia should have across the Schengen border. . I can’t go into details, Mehl says.
– We must take into account the general risk that the legal activity and this exception can be exploited, says Mehl.
It will prevent illegal goods in Russia
Fisheries Minister Bjørnar Skjæran stresses that fisheries resources must be managed in a sustainable way.
– In this way, we balance the need for control with the need for cooperation in the fisheries sector, he says.
The background for the tightening is recent severe development, with Russia ’s unacceptable annexation to Ukraine, attacks on pipelines in the Baltic Sea and increased drone activity, explains Huitfeldt.
The Minister of Justice and Emergency Preparedness Emilie Enger Mehl (Sp) affirms that the Customs Agency is one of the actors that will become important in the coming times and will carry out the checks.
The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the news first on their websites. Shortly after posting the message, the pages are unavailable.
The Ministry of Finance cannot respond on Thursday because the press release is not available and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs refers to the press conference on Thursday.
He was exempted from sanctions
After Russia invaded Ukraine, the government imposed several sanctions against Russia .
Since 7 May, Russian-flagged vessels of over 500 gross tonnage that commercially navigate international traffic have not been able to travel to Norwegian ports. As a result, the borders were closed to Russian freight and ports were closed to Russian ships.
The ban also affects yachts and some pleasure and pleasure boats, but fishing vessels have been exempted from the penalties.
Sør-Varanger and Kirkenes it completely depends on cooperation with Russia.
In two weeks Norwegian and Russian authorities negotiate next year’s fisheries agreement.
The deal means that Russia and Norway agree on fishing quotas. The agreement also states that Russian fishermen can fish in Norwegian areas and that Russian boats can deliver fish to Norway.
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