Energy
A technical working group must study the consequences for, among other things, existing contracts and purchasing power.
The European Union already had plans to completely phase out fossil fuels from Russia by 2027. Belgium’s top ministers have now agreed not only to supply F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, but also to investigate whether the ban on Russian fuels can be accelerated.
Europe has already largely gotten rid of pipeline gas. But there remains a persistently large supply of Russian LNG, liquefied gas delivered by ship.
This has long been the subject of criticism that the transshipment helps Russia to continue financing the war in Ukraine. Zeebrugge is still one of the most important ports where LNG from Russia is transhipped.
A technical working group will be commissioned by the federal government to investigate how Europe can ban the transshipment of Russian LNG as quickly as possible. Only Belgium will not do that.
The study examines the consequences for existing contracts; a ban could constitute a case of force majeure. In addition, a ban must not endanger security of supply and purchasing power. And of course all European ports must participate, so that the European level playing field is not in danger. Belgium, as European chairman, would then put a proposal on the table.
The European Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson, recently announced that Europe wants to “gradually” increase pressure on importers of Russian LNG to reduce their purchases. The Belgian Minister of Energy, Tinne Van der Straeten (Green), was also in favor of this earlier.
Nuclear fuel
For the supply of nuclear fuel rods, Belgium also proposes to only execute current contracts with uranium of Russian origin and not to conclude any new ones, unless this would jeopardize energy supplies.
