Baltic States – CIS, Legislation, Lithuania, Russia, Transport

"In its note, Lithuania expressed its concern that problems that have occurred after the launch of Russia's new electronic federal road tax system have caused queues at border crossing points and inconvenience to Lithuanian haulers," the ministry told BNS.

The ministry said in the note that the new levy, which took effect on November 15, was not in line with an agreement on transport cooperation signed between Lithuania and Russia in 1992 and a bilateral agreement on international road transport signed in 1993.

The agreements provide that truckers from either country do not pay for the use of roads in the other country.

The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry asked the Russian side to inform it how these problems would be dealt with and to provide explanation as to the compatibility of the new levy with the bilateral agreements.

Trucks over 12 tons are now charged 2 euro cents per kilometer and the tariff will be increased to 4 cents from Mar. 1, 2016.

Many Lithuanian road haulers have shifted their trucks to other countries after Russia imposed sanctions in August 2014.

Lithuania is a transit country for trucks traveling between mainland Russia and its Baltic Sea exclave of Kaliningrad.