OREANDA-NEWS. June 23, 2014. Estonia approved import restrictions on goods from Crimea and Sevastopol, with the exception of products carrying the certificate of the Ukrainian government, and the ban is likely to become official in the EU next week.

Goods without the Ukrainian government certificate cannot be imported into the European Union. Crimea has mostly produced vodka, wine and sparkling wine, and fewer than ten companies in Estonia have imported from the region in recent years, uudised.err.ee reported.

The various punitive measures are likely to be approved by the EU’s foreign ministers on Monday, giving substance to the policy of non-recognition of Crimea.

The aim of the move is to pressure local producers to co-operate with Ukrainian authorities. According to Foreign Minister Urmas Paet, the EU realizes enforcing the policy is difficult and forged certificates are likely to follow, and import through Russia is also a possibility.

“However, what counts is the message of the decision, that the European Union does not accept the annexation of Crimea,” Paet said.