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EU removes sanctions on Russian coal and timber

26 Sep 2022

 

As the war in Ukraine began, European nations imposed sanctions on Russia to hurt it economically and financially. In the sixth package of sanctions against Russia, the European Union (EU) banned all imports of Russian coal. The ban was agreed upon in April with the import wind-down period ending on 10 August.

With an oil embargo on Russian seaborne oil authorised in June as part of the sixth round of sanctions and scheduled to go into effect at the end of the year, coal was the first Russian energy source to be sanctioned by the EU.

 

The commission has stated that its sanctions forbid EU companies from transferring coal and other services, such as finance and insurance, to any shipments of such goods coming from Russia.

The coal resurgence

But, amidst the gas crisis, many Europeans are concerned about the growing expense of feeding families and heating houses. Due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, Europe is already preparing for what may be a long and chilly winter. But Europe cannot simply reduce its reliance on Russian energy.  To do so, it would need a substitute. And many people believed that this replacement would come from renewable energy sources like wind and solar, but at the moment, that is not the case.

The truth is that renewable energy sources are unable to meet Europe’s needs for energy. As a result, Europe is relying on an energy source that it had been seeking to wean itself off, i.e, Coal.

Due to the energy crisis affecting Europe, several countries, such as Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands, have switched back to coal in an effort to save and stockpile gas before the winter.

The International Energy Agency predicts a 7% increase in coal usage in the EU this year. Currently, there is such a huge demand for coal that the price has tripled from $134 per metric tonne at the beginning of the year to over $400 per tonne. Even for small businesses, there has been a significant rise in Colombia.

Their capacity to adhere to the European Climate Law, which sets the intermediate goal of lowering net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 in comparison to 1990 levels to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, has been impacted by the move.

Also Read: So, neither Ukraine nor Russia was the target of the war. Europe is, and Biden proves it

EU contemplates removing sanctions on Russian coal

EU has taken a U-turn on sanctions against Russian coal. According to the new guidelines from the European Commission, the executive branch of the EU, the transfer of some items, particularly coal and allied products, “should be allowed to combat food and energy insecurity around the world.”