Estonia cannot publish a list of companies that trade with Russia and Belarus
Estonian law currently does not allow the government to publish a list of companies that do business with the Russian Federation—an aggressor state—and Belarus. This was stated by Estonian Minister of Economic Affairs Erkki Keld, according to ERR News.
According to Keld, the Taxation Act prevents the publication of such a list, as the relevant information constitutes company data. For the government to disclose this information, legislation would need to be amended.
The minister noted that companies’ annual reports are publicly available. Anyone interested can independently verify what services a company provides, to which countries it exports goods, and with whom it cooperates. At the same time, government agencies do not have the right to publish such data on their own.
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Keldon could not say whether it would be legal for a private individual to create and publish such a database. According to him, data protection experts should answer this question. The Estonian government and ministry have not yet discussed the possibility of legislative changes to allow for the publication of such lists.
The minister stated that the issue requires further study and discussion with the Chamber of Commerce, employers, and entrepreneurs. Among the aspects that need to be evaluated, he cited the scope of the data to be disclosed: whether to include only company names or also information on beneficial owners, ownership structure, and shareholders.
As a first step, Keld would support a complete EU-wide ban on imports of goods from Russia and Belarus. Meanwhile, the Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia will publish a monthly list of companies that export goods to these countries or import them from there. The published Excel file lists 170 entities. This is not a list of violators of international sanctions: it includes companies operating in sectors not covered by sanctions.
