“If Belgium has to abstain – due to Flemish protests – during the EU consultations on a transhipment ban on Russian LNG, this could be the death blow to the proposal. Other member states such as France are looking at our country,” says Angelos Koutsis of the Bond Beter Leefmilieu (BBL). “Ukraine is going through the most difficult period since the start of the war, but Flanders is flirting with the idea of leaving Russian LNG untouched.”
Zeebrugge
A fourteenth sanctions package against Russia is currently being prepared in Europe. The gas trade is also being questioned again. Despite the daily horrors of war in Ukraine, Europe continues to import significant amounts of Russian gas. On the one hand, this concerns ‘conventional’ gas that enters via pipelines through Ukraine itself, among other places. On the other hand, liquefied gas (LNG) that is traded via ports in Belgium, France and Spain. Last year, 7.8 billion cubic meters of Russian LNG arrived at the port of Zeebrugge. A record.
Recently, the federal government has – in principle – been in favor of a European ban on the transhipment of Russian LNG. Such a ban would not affect imports to Europe itself, but it would affect the gas that is transferred from one ship to another in European ports, often to the rest of the world. The government wants attention to be paid to European energy supplies and to possible (major) damage claims from Russia. In any case, a formal Belgian position will still have to wait for technical meetings. The regions must also give their consent.
Purchasing power
The Flemish government is not showing any colors for the time being. But a green resolution for such a transhipment ban was voted down in the Flemish Parliament on Tuesday by the government parties N-VA, Open Vld and CD&V. Much to the dismay of Bond Beter Leefmilieu and a handful of other NGOs that work on climate and peace. For months they have been campaigning for sanctions against the Russian gas trade – a business that generates tax revenues for Moscow.
According to N-VA, Open Vld and CD&V, the consequences of a transhipment ban remain too uncertain. A position that Fluxys – the operator of the gas terminal in Zeebrugge – has also expressed several times. “We think that with these sanctions we will mainly hit ourselves. This would lead to a significant price increase and have an enormous impact on the purchasing power of our citizens,” said MP Karl Vanlouwe (N-VA) on Tuesday. He first wants to obtain the promised impact analysis of a possible European transhipment ban on Russian LNG.
Koutsis is not convinced. “This is about transshipment and not about import. This way, supplies remain out of harm’s way. In recent years, more than 90 percent of the transshipped gas volumes have been shipped to non-EU markets. The part that does go to Europe represents less 0.3 percent of the total European gas demand and is negligible. By comparison, a cold winter can increase European gas demand by more than 5 percent.”
Surplus
The environmental movement always points to recent studies showing that the international LNG market will have a surplus from this summer. While European gas demand is declining. This helps to keep energy prices under control.
According to Koutsis, a transshipment ban should be included in the fourteenth sanctions package. It has already been delayed for too long. “Otherwise it will only be included in the fifteenth package at the earliest, which may not be on the table for another six months. A Flemish ban could amount to 500 million euros in additional support for the Kremlin.”
Federal Minister of Energy Tinne Van der Straeten (Green) also reacts critically. “Where is the moral compass of the Flemish government parties?” she asks. “As long as we continue to fill the Russian war chest through the transit of Russian gas, all our aid measures for Ukraine are of little use. The war in Ukraine is only becoming more brutal and threatening. I cannot understand why Flanders is delaying this.”
Tags: Incomprehensible Flanders doubts Russian gas tap Zeebrugge
