Both the Belgian and French Governments have urged the European Union (EU) to take stronger action against Russian LNG imports.
France has called for greater transparency on Russian LNG imports within the EU, and has asked the EC to impose more stringent reporting obligations on Russian LNG entering member countries.
Speaking at an EU energy ministers meeting in Luxembourg this week, French Energy Minister, Agnes Pannier-Runacher, said that France, along with nine other countries, would encourage the EC to improve transparency surrounding Russian LNG imports.
"We believe it is needed to have the highest level of transparency regarding the flows of LNG, because we need to remove this dependency from Russian natural gas," Pannier-Runacher said. "This is good for Europe, and for our competitiveness."
The Luxembourg meeting formed part of a wider EU ministers' discussion on winter preparedness, security of supply, and the state of REPowerEU, following the recommendations of last month's report by Mario Draghi on European competitiveness.
"Member states have provided us additional input as to how we can continue our work to effectively and rapidly phase out remaining Russian fossil fuels," European Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson said at a press conference after the meeting. "This includes more transparency on co-ordinating existing measures. It means we're continuing this work and it will be one of the priorities of my successor."
"We should be very clear that Russian gas is not accepted in the EU and go forward to track LNG sources," Finland's Energy Minister, Kai Mykkanenm said on social media.
Tracking system
Speaking before the meeting, Belgian Energy Minister, Tinne Van der Straeten, called for the implementation of a tracking system to effectively enforce the new European sanctions against Russian LNG.
In June, the 27 EU member states agreed to prohibit the transhipment of Russian LNG in Europe. Starting March, 2025, LNG from Russia will no longer be allowed to be transferred to other ships in European ports for onward delivery.
This measure aimed to significantly impact Russia’s revenue from LNG sales and transportation.
Belgium is a deemed to be crucial partner to carry out these EU sanctions, as its Zeebrugge LNG terminal is a key transhipment point.
“We have observed a doubling of LNG volumes in Belgium. These volumes are likely intended for supply security within Europe, but we are facing challenges in implementing the sanctions package,” Van der Straeten said.
