More transparency on Russian gas imports sought by EU countries, document shows
By Julia Payne
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – A group of EU countries including France and the Baltic states have asked the European Commission to tighten reporting rules across the bloc on Russian LNG imports, a letter sent to the commission on Monday showed.
The EU adopted a 14th package of sanctions in June that included a ban on trans-shipments of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) in its port areas. Moscow has been using European ports to trans-ship onto other vessels for farther destinations in Asia.
The restrictions stopped short of an import ban on Russian LNG. Some EU countries still receive Russian pipeline gas through Ukraine and Turkey.
Since then, imports of Russian LNG to Europe have increased to Belgium and the Netherlands where most of the trans-shipments used to take place. Belgium has called for stronger measures.
“We consider (it) important to ensure full transparency on imports of Russian natural gas and to shed light on the identity of natural gas suppliers who import Russian LNG,” the document said.
Further, the countries want the commission to strengthen the “reporting obligation for unloading operations of Russian LNG,” as public data do not give “a complete picture.”
The package includes a wind-down period until March, and the EU members want the commission to propose stronger reporting rules before then.
These would include asking LNG storage operators to provide information on the portion of Russian LNG in reloaded cargoes and storage operators to monitor LNG origin.
The paper was co-signed by Lithuania, Austria, Czech Republic, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Luxembourg and Sweden.
