Draft shows that EU countries are trying to limit the ways in which Russian gas can be circumvented by EU countries.
A draft of the latest negotiation proposal for the rules seen by revealed that the European Union is trying to block any way Russian gas can still enter Europe after the phase-out.
The European Commission proposed legislation in June to phase out EU oil and gas imports from Russia by January 1, 2028. This is because Brussels wants to end its decades-old relationship with Russia after its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The EU is negotiating these plans and considering proposals that would make it more difficult for companies to "transit" Russian gas through Russia, after having been produced in another country.
The draft of the latest negotiation proposal, dated Sept. 4, stated that "Customs Authorities should refuse to import alleged transit volumes unless unambiguous evidence can be presented to prove that gas has been transiting through the Russian Federation, and the gas produced in a different country than the Russian Federation."
The draft stated that gas imported via the TurkStream pipeline, which connects Russia with Turkey and then to Bulgaria, should be assumed to be Russian.
It said that "the Russian Federation is one of the largest gas exporters and has never played a noticeable role in the past as a transit country for gas."
The proposal is a response to concerns that companies might re-label Russian imports in order to circumvent the EU ban. It is notoriously hard to prove where the gas comes from, especially if it has been blended while in transit.
A spokesperson from Denmark, the rotating EU presidency that drafted this document and currently holds, declined to comment.
The EU hopes to have the proposals approved by next month. The Russian gas embargo requires the approval of a strengthened majority of EU member states - Hungary and Slovakia cannot block this measure because they have been against it.
According to the proposal, the EU will gradually phase out Russian imports of gas under new contracts starting in January 2026. This will be followed by existing short-term agreements beginning June 17, 2026 and long-term contracts beginning January 20, 2028. (Reporting and editing by Alistair Bell; Kate Abnett)
(source: Reuters)
