The European Union will give countries the right to block imports of Russian gas – Kommersant

The European Union has prepared a bill that will allow member countries to independently block gas imports from Russia, reports Financial Times with reference to a document obtained by the publication.

The FT clarified that, according to the bill, EU member states are proposed to be given the right to prohibit Russian and Belarusian companies from buying capacity in their gas pipelines and liquefied gas terminals. A senior EU official told the publication that this measure would allow European energy companies to terminate contracts with Russian gas suppliers without paying significant compensation.

The FT expects representatives of member states in the European Parliament to approve the text of the initiative today, December 8. The publication recalled that the EU also proposes to extend measures to stabilize gas prices and reduce gas consumption. EU energy ministers will discuss this issue on December 19.

The EU plans to completely phase out fossil fuel supplies from Russia by 2027. According to Eurostat, in the third quarter of 2023, Russian gas accounted for about 12% of total gas imports into the European Union. Austria and Hungary, in particular, still largely depend on gas supplies from Russia. In November, Russian LNG exports to Europe turned out to be the highest in history – 1.75 million tons. Spain and Belgium are among the largest importers of LNG from the Russian Federation.

Read more about LNG export in the material “Russian LNG straightened its shoulder”.

Erdni Kagaltynov