Sunday

1st Oct 2023

MEPs seek full embargo on Russian energy

  • MEPs sitting in Strasbourg this week also called on EU countries to step up the delivery of weapons to Ukraine (Photo: European Parliament)
Listen to article

The European Parliament has called for an immediate and "full" embargo on imports of Russian oil, coal, nuclear fuel, and gas in response to the atrocities committed in Bucha, Irpin, and other Ukrainian cities.

The text was adopted by an overwhelming majority of 513 votes against 22 with 19 abstentions. And although such resolutions are non-binding, they can ramp up pressure on member states.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

The EU is paying Russia about €800m each day for the supply of fossil fuels, according to centre-right MEP Siegfried Muresan who said a total embargo was necessary to stop financing the war in Ukraine.

During a plenary debate on Wednesday, the EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell also said Europe has paid about €35bn to Russia for energy supplies since the start of the war, compared to the €1bn the bloc had given to Ukraine to arm itself.

A full embargo would have to go hand-in-hand with a proposal from the European Commission to ensure the EU's security of energy supply, MEPs said.

They also called on EU countries to step up the delivery of weapons to Ukraine and to exclude Russia from the G20 and other international organisations such as Interpol, the World Trade Organization, and Unesco.

With the fifth package of sanctions against Moscow expected on Friday, pressure is mounting on the EU to halt imports of Russian energy.

Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba also urged the EU to impose a full oil and gas embargo during an address in a Nato session on Thursday.

But the EU's sanctions regime requires unanimity and several member states have voiced scepticism about imposing a full embargo on Russian energy.

Hungary's recently re-elected prime minister, Viktor Orbán, has repeatedly said his country will block any sanctions targeting oil or gas.

The two fossil fuels remain Moscow's main sources of foreign income.

For the moment, the EU is only expected to announce a ban on coal imports worth an estimated €4bn per year.

But an oil embargo is gaining support to be potentially included in the next round of sanctions, an EU diplomat told EUobserver.

Russia is the world's second-largest exporter of crude oil, after Saudi Arabia, and the biggest supplier to the EU.

Germany, the Netherlands and Poland are the top buyers of Russian crude oil, according to the International Energy Agency, an intergovernmental body in Paris.

Russia has extensive infrastructure to ship oil to Europe and Asia.

But those EU countries connected to the so-called Druzhba pipeline system are especially dependent on Russian crude oil. These include Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Germany.

What would oil embargo mean?

Experts said an oil embargo could push inflation for producers and consumers even higher.

If EU refiners cannot purchase Russian cargoes, they would be forced to bid elsewhere for supply, and "that will raise the prices they pay or reduce the amount of oil available to them," George Pearkes, an investment analyst at Bespoke Investment Group, told EUobserver.

But Pearkes pointed out that purchases of Russian crude cargoes have already slowed substantially given the lack of interest from buyers who do not want to accidentally face future sanctions or logistics problems.

For his part, Nick Sitter, a professor at the Central European University and BI Norwegian Business School, said the EU is much more likely to go for an oil embargo than a gas cut-off.

This would be part of "a response to further Russian escalation or further revelations of war crimes," he said.

Macron and Draghi

Earlier this week, French president Emmanuel Macron made a link between the oil embargo and the reports of war crimes in Bucha.

Russia is the world's second-largest producer of natural gas, behind the United States. In Europe, Germany and Italy are the largest importers of Russian gas.

Italian prime minister Mario Draghi told a press conference on Wednesday that a gas embargo was not on the table. "I don't know if it ever will be," he said.

EU Commission proposes Russian oil-ban in new sanctions

Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said EU countries should phase out Russian crude oil imports within six months, and refined oil by the end of the year to minimise the impact on European economy and global supply.

Opinion

Punish Belarus too for aiding Putin's Ukraine war

While Belarus has not sent its own troops to fight Russia's war in Ukraine, the Minsk dictatorship has been heavily involved. As a result, Belarus must be punished for its involvement — what can the world do to sanction Belarus?

Latest News

  1. EU women promised new dawn under anti-violence pact
  2. Three steps EU can take to halt Azerbaijan's mafia-style bullying
  3. Punish Belarus too for aiding Putin's Ukraine war
  4. Added-value for Russia diamond ban, as G7 and EU prepare sanctions
  5. EU states to agree on asylum crisis bill, say EU officials
  6. Poland's culture of fear after three years of abortion 'ban'
  7. Time for a reset: EU regional funding needs overhauling
  8. Germany tightens police checks on Czech and Polish border

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersThe Nordic Region is stepping up its efforts to reduce food waste
  2. International Medical Devices Regulators Forum (IMDRF)Join regulators, industry & healthcare experts at the 24th IMDRF session, September 25-26, Berlin. Register by 20 Sept to join in person or online.
  3. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  4. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA
  5. International Medical Devices Regulators Forum (IMDRF)Join regulators & industry experts at the 24th IMDRF session- Berlin September 25-26. Register early for discounted hotel rates
  6. Nordic Council of MinistersGlobal interest in the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations – here are the speakers for the launch

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of Ministers20 June: Launch of the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations
  2. International Sustainable Finance CentreJoin CEE Sustainable Finance Summit, 15 – 19 May 2023, high-level event for finance & business
  3. ICLEISeven actionable measures to make food procurement in Europe more sustainable
  4. World BankWorld Bank Report Highlights Role of Human Development for a Successful Green Transition in Europe
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic summit to step up the fight against food loss and waste
  6. Nordic Council of MinistersThink-tank: Strengthen co-operation around tech giants’ influence in the Nordics

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us