The G7 countries should, they claim, substantially lower the price cap on Russian fossil fuels. The demand has come from the EPP Group and has been sent to both the EU and its Member States.

Russian Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) imports should be banned, according to its MEPs as well as shipments of Russian oil and LNG exports through the EU.

The Group also states that “new systems should be established to improve the enforcement of the ban on military and dual-use goods.”

These are some of the recommendations in a resolution calling for improvement in the effectiveness of the EU sanctions on Russia.

It was initiated by the EPP Group MEP Andrius Kubilius.

The deputy said, “The fact is that Russia is still capable of financing its war against Ukraine. Russia is still the EU’s second largest supplier of LNG, and the EU still remains one of Russia’s largest clients for fossil fuels.

“Purchases of Russian LNG or Russian origin oil from the non-EU states are not restricted and currently run well above the levels seen before the start of Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine,” says Kubilius, who is also the Parliament’s spokesman on Russia.

“Despite the fact that the price cap sanctions have heavily hit Russian incomes, Russia is still able to receive approximately €700 million a day from its fossil fuel exports, and the EU is still sending to Russia around 2 billion euro per month for the import of oil and gas. It is time for us to look at how we can increase the effectiveness of our sanctions policy, especially on gas and oil”, emphasises Kubilius.

The resolution also calls on the EU and Member States to “improve the coordination in the enforcement of the existing sanctions on Russian oil exports and for harmonised checks on the origin of imports of fossil fuels, LNG and refined fossil fuels to prevent the re-export of Russian energy to the EU.”

It calls for a “ban” on fuel and other petroleum products from outside the EU if they are produced using Russian oil and wants “price and volume caps” to be placed on imports of Russian and Belarusian fertilisers and sanctions against all the major Russian oil companies, their subsidiaries, boards and management.

MEPs also seek restrictions on tanker services, including tanker insurance, and an embargo on the sale of the tankers to Russia.

Kubilius added, “While Vladimir Putin keeps waging his brutal war against Ukraine, we keep paying into his pockets.

“The inability of the EU to effectively stop energy imports from Russia prolongs the destruction of Ukraine. We cannot wait and tolerate it, enabling it to continue, especially not on the eve of the opening of EU-Ukraine accession talks.

“EU sanctions on Russia should last until it fully retreats from Ukraine,” stresses Kubilius.

More on Russia Sanctions at EU Today

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