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Belgium asks for European consultation on Russian LNG

by AI | 15.Oct 2024 | Europe in brief AI

Belgium is pushing for the introduction of a tracking system to effectively implement the new European sanctions against Russian liquefied gas (LNG). Resigning Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten indicated this at a meeting with her European colleagues in Luxembourg.

A LNG terminal off the coast of Croatian Omišalj (photo HINA/ Miljenko KLEPAC)

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Just before the summer, the 27 EU member states agreed to ban the transshipment of Russian LNG. From March 2025, LNG from Russia may no longer be transferred in European ports onto other ships that take the cargo to other parts of the world. This should give a blow to the revenues Russia earns from the sale and transport of LNG.

Belgium is a party involved due to the LNG terminal in Zeebrugge, an important transshipment point in Europe. During the preparation of the sanctions, the involved services found that more coordination is needed. It will still be possible to transfer LNG for transport to other member states within the EU.

Belgium is therefore urging for a communication and transparency mechanism. One of the possible routes could be that there is automatic acceptance of the cargo, provided that the shipper of the cargo can prove in advance that he has permission to dock at another terminal in the EU.

It’s about safeguarding fair competition with the other member states that transship LNG, but also about preventing Russia from exploiting loopholes within the EU to circumvent sanctions.

To prevent this, Belgium is also working on a system to trace and follow the origin of the gas. Our country insists that other member states also introduce a control system. “The sanctions must be effective to prevent the Russian war machine from continuing to be fueled,” said Van der Straeten.

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