Finland to teach people how to comply with sanctions against Russia

The Finnish government has decided to publish a course on sanctions against Russia. It will help citizens more effectively comply with the restrictions imposed.

This was reported by RBC-Ukraine with reference to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland.

"The EU sanctions against Russia are unprecedentedly large, which creates problems for many operators in the practical implementation of sanctions. From the point of view of the effectiveness of sanctions, it is extremely important that both companies and authorities know how to apply them," said Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen.

The Minister hopes that the introductory course on sanctions will help people to apply sanctions correctly.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarified that the course covers the basics of sanctions and how to comply with them.

"Many fundamental provisions, such as the concepts of funds and economic resources, freezing of funds, and the principles of export and import bans, are repeated in different sanctions regimes," the statement said.

The course uses examples to illustrate sanctions provisions, especially those related to the extensive sanctions against Russia. It includes a special section on identifying cases of sanctions circumvention and practical instructions on how to conduct due diligence by companies and authorities.

Pia Sarivaara, Head of the Sanctions Team at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, noted that the primary responsibility for compliance with sanctions and decision-making in sanctions matters always lies with the individual or legal entity itself.

Author - Serhii Kolomiets, 02/12/2023