Brussels says difficult months ahead for Europe, after energy meeting

Brussels says it’s getting ready for troublesome months forward within the power sector, following a rare assembly of the bloc’s power ministers on Monday to debate its technique after Russia determined to chop off fuel to Poland and Bulgaria final week.

Now, the EU is working to make sure that continent’s fuel storage can be full by autumn. It is presently at 32% and based on the bloc’s power commissioner, Kadri Simson, any member state might be the subsequent sufferer of Moscow’s power cuts.

Brussels is working in parallel on a sixth bundle of sanctions in opposition to Russia, that can deal with a phased-out embargo of oil. Germany, beforehand one of many essential opponents, is now agreeing to it.

“After two months of labor, I can say that Germany is just not in opposition to an oil ban on Russia,” Robert Habeck, the German local weather and economics minister stated on Monday. “After all, it’s a heavy load to bear, however we’re prepared to do this…We’ve got to organize the hubs, we now have to organize the pipelines. So, time is useful, however different nations have greater issues.”

The proposal could also be introduced by the European Fee as quickly as Tuesday.

However Simone Tagliapietra, a senior fellow at Brussels-based think-tank Bruegel, the plan have to be dealt with with care.

“If we at the moment are transferring to sanction Russian oil with a gradual embargo, Russia may reply instantly by saying, okay, then we lower the fuel,” Tagliapietra stated. “And giving Russia this strategic sport, will not be the best choice for the EU. It is likely to be higher for the EU to place a tariff instantly on each oil and fuel coming from Russia into the European Union.”

Some nations are calling for a punitive import tax on Russia power as a substitute of an embargo.