Germany is urging the European Union to act more efficiently to curb the last 20% of Russian energy imports that are still arriving at the bloc’s shores.
According to a Bloomberg report, Germany and the Czech Republic are appealing to the EU to set up a “high-level working group” to devise methods to phase out the remaining Russian gas supplies, which include liquefied natural gas, oil, and nuclear material.
The EU energy ministers will meet on Thursday in Brussels to assess the REPowerEU plan. Implemented after the invasion of Ukraine, the plan aims to reduce reliance on energy supplies imported from Moscow.
Also read: EU passes new law which mandates 40% domestic green tech production
However, after the invasion, piped gas supplies were cut off, leading to an increase in the imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG). According to the Bloomberg report, the imports increased to 18 billion cubic metres in 2023, compared to less than 14 billion cubic metres imported before the invasion.
Recently, the EU implemented some measures to enable members of the EU to ban LNG imports from Moscow without new energy sanctions.
The EU recently implemented steps that would allow members to prohibit Russian LNG imports without imposing additional energy sanctions. However, individual countries argue that they cannot take action independently since this would just redirect supplies to other parts of the bloc. Any actions taken must also consider the potential effects on energy security.
Spain has seen its LNG imports double since the Ukraine invasion. It is among the member nations that are appealing for guidance from the European Commission regarding the effective use of the measure introduced.
