Estonia, EU – Baltic States, Financial Services, Legislation, Markets and Companies

In January, said Agriculture Minister Helir-Valdor Seeder said that the European Commission has returned to Estonia 6.6 million euros of fines for excess inventories discovered when Estonia joined the EU. Seeder's predecessor in the job of the minister Ester Tuiksoo asked Seeder in the parliament on Wednesday whether interest rates and court expenses have been returned by now too.

"Yes, the excess inventories fine that was sentenced to Estonia once and that Estonia paid, has been returned to Estonia by the European Commission by now. No additional expenses in connection with court proceedings and interests have been returned and we haven’t demanded that from the European Commission yet," said Seeder.

Seeder said that the dispute with the European Commission over the excess sugar reserves fine is still under way as Estonia applies for that fine to be retuned too. Seeder said that the Estonian state cannot take any steps before it has received the Commission's official position on the sugar fine.

Seeder said that Estonia might demand the extra expenses connected to interests and court costs but it could also happen that the European Union might decide not to return the sugar fine after all. "Then we have a chance of starting the court path again," the minister said.

Estonia paid 536 million kroons of fine for excess sugar and 103 million kroons for other food products that was hoarded by companies and people before Estonia joined the EU in May 2004.