France and Belgium have refused to support the European Commission’s plan to ban pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies from Russia, Politico writes. Both countries insist they need more details on the economic and legal implications of the measure.
France says it favours a strategy of seeking alternative supplies. Belgium wants a report detailing the economic consequences before making a decision. French Energy Minister Marc Ferracci said Paris defends the European diversification strategy that proposes replacing Russian supplies with Qatari products. He explained that France supports the strategy to reduce the risks of Russian fossil fuels, but the ban at the European level means that no one can import Russian LNG. Paris also fears Russian lawsuits because France’s TotalEnergies is bound by a contract until 2032 with Novatek and owns a 20% stake in the Yamal project, which operates an LNG plant in Siberia.
France and Belgium are the two largest buyers of Russian LNG in the European Union, according to Politico. By contrast, Spain and the Netherlands, following them, support the EU’s plan to ban short-term purchases of Russian LNG this year and long-term contracts by 2027. The position of these four countries will be crucial for the European Commission, which expects support for its proposal, Politico writes.
In May, the European Commission proposed to European countries measures to ban imports of Russian gas both through pipelines and in the form of liquefied natural gas by the end of 2027. The ban would affect new deals and existing contracts.
