Two years after the invasion of Ukraine, the debate on the import of liquefied natural gas (LNG) is again at the center of the controversy, just when the information points to the fact that Spain is the country that imports the most of this fuel since Russia Faced with the situation, the third vice-president, Teresa Ribera, yesterday urged that the purchase of Russian LNG be reduced or eliminated in all Twenty-seven “as soon as possible”, while Brussels is ready to talk with countries on how it could be implemented, although he ruled out immediate legislative action.
Spain last year became the country that imports the most LNG from Russia in the entire European Union, so that it unseated France, due to the large number of regasification terminals that the country has, which concentrates a third of all the EU’s capacity. The Government has always pointed this out when it has recalled that, when the fuel is regasified, it is sent to other European countries or to third parties.
Ribera has often lamented the increase in imports and last year asked in a letter to the energy companies to stop buying Russian gas, but the only viable formula – also defended by the companies – is to agree on a ban on scale European, because there are often contractual obligations that prevent taking measures unilaterally. “I will insist on it because we need a common position in Europe, and not for the future, but as soon as possible”, the vice-president insisted yesterday, after Lithuania proposed on the occasion of the meeting of Energy Ministers in Brussels a ban on Russian gas imports from January 1, 2027. In this sense, he asked Brussels for “urgent” legislative measures so that it can be carried out. However, with the legislature about to end, there is no time to propose measures of this scope.
Several member states were in favor of the Lithuanian proposal, despite the fact that, as highlighted by the Belgian Minister of Energy, Tinne Van der Straeten, the country that holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, “to ban the import of liquefied natural gas coming from Russia must be done through a package of sanctions and requires unanimity”. However, there is no consensus among the countries, with Germany’s openly expressed doubts.
In this sense, the possibility being studied is that, within the so-called “gas package”, legislation that the Eurochamber must vote on in April, a clause is used that allows countries to reduce gas imports. However, a series of technically complex requirements must be met which make their application particularly difficult. Even so, given the interest of some countries, the European Commission undertook to discuss with the capitals that wish to do so how this voluntary reduction could be applied.
At the same time, the ministers gave the go-ahead to maintain the 15% reduction in gas consumption for next year.
