With the deadline for tabling of amendments to the European Parliament’s report on the regulation to phase out Russian gas by the end of 2027 set for 18 July, Agence Europe has been able to consult some thirty amendments tabled by the co-rapporteur for the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE), Ville Niinistö (Greens/EFA, Finnish).
As he and co-rapporteur Inese Vaidere (EPP, Latvian) explained during a joint debate of the ITRE and INTA committees on Tuesday 15 July (see EUROPE 13681/21), Mr Niinistö wants the deadline for phasing out Russian gas to be shortened by at least one year - to 1 January 2027.
The two co-rapporteurs justify this by pointing out that demand for gas in the EU is constantly falling and that only a tiny proportion of Russian gas imports would need to be compensated for by other suppliers, given that “the expected reduction in consumption between now and 2027 is greater than current imports from Russia”.
The amendments to the Commission’s proposal also call for measures to reduce energy dependence on Russia to be linked to the EU’s 2040 climate target currently being negotiated (see EUROPE 13682/11).
Secondly, they detail and strengthen the principle of “force majeure” and completely remove the paragraph granting a derogation to landlocked countries. Under the Commission’s proposal, these countries will benefit from a longer transition period for ending short-term contracts for the supply of Russian gas. Mr Niinistö believes that this derogation has not been subject to an impact study and lacks justification.
Another amendment concerns the inclusion of a permanent ban on Russian oil imports, “given that no EU legal framework currently imposes a permanent ban”.
Mr Niinistö also wants to see Russian oil in the form of refined products, such as petrol, via third countries, taken into account and included in Member States’ diversification plans.
In addition, he wants to withdraw Article 15, which allows the Commission to revoke the ban on Russian gas imports temporarily as an emergency measure, “because it introduces uncertainty and undermines the overall objective”. (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)