The Commission wants a coal embargo. Paris wants to go further and include oil.
Correspondent in Brussels
Embargo on coal, closure of Union ports to Russian ships, ban on road transport and deepening of the sanctions already imposed. Ursula von der Leyen transmitted on Tuesday to the Member States the new sanctions envisaged against Russia in retaliation for the abuses committed by the Russian army in the kyiv region, in particular in Boutcha. These sinister events mark a turning point in the war in Ukraine but also in the responses of Europeans. “It is important to maintain the greatest pressure on Putin and the Russian government at this critical time,” declared the President of the Commission, denouncing “heinous crimes”.
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The fifth sanctions package, which has been in the works for several weeks, has been significantly beefed up since Sunday. Above all, it covers new fields. Thus, a taboo seems to be about to fall. For the first time since February 24, the Commission is proposing to tackle Russian energy exports, as Poland and the Baltic countries have been demanding for weeks. It would be a question, initially, of prohibiting purely and simply the imports of Russian coal, representing 4 billion euros per year. Compare with the more than 55 billion euros of gas that the EU bought from Russia in 2021. In 2020, a third of the coal consumed by the EU came from Russia.
To hear a diplomat, there should be no opposition among member states on this subject which crystallized on Monday evening. Moreover, Germany, which is one of the largest importers, along with Poland, has already given the green light. “For coal and oil (…), we can succeed in replacing them more quickly”, German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said in Luxembourg. The day before, he opened the door to this option when his government established a plan that would allow the country to be weaned from Russian coal from next summer and from oil at the end of the year.
Prohibited vessels
At this stage, however, an oil embargo is not envisaged even if Paris is pushing in this direction. And “VDL” made it clear that it was only a matter of time. “We are working on additional sanctions, including on oil imports, and we are considering some of the ideas presented by member states, such as introducing taxes or setting up specific payment channels such as a payment account. guarantee blocked”, she warned.
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Another proposed measure: Russian or Russian-operated vessels would no longer have access to European ports except when transporting agricultural and food products, energy or humanitarian aid. “It could be complicated for Greece or Cyprus to accept such a measure”, nevertheless confides a diplomat. In addition, road transport would be prohibited for Russian and Belarusian companies. By closing Russia to freight, the Commission is attacking a new field. Brussels also intends to close public markets to Russian companies.
In addition, there is a deepening of the existing sanctions. Thus, other technologies will be hit by export bans (quantum computers, advanced semiconductors, transport equipment and sensitive components, etc.). According to the Commission, this would represent a shortfall of 10 billion euros for the European Union. A turn of the screw is also proposed on imports of cement, wood, seafood or alcohol for an amount estimated at 5.5 billion euros. Von der Leyen’s goal: “Reduce financial flows from Russia and its oligarchs. » Four major Russian banks already cut off from Swift will also have their assets frozen. They “represent 23% of the market share in the Russian banking sector”, underlined the President of the Commission. EU ambassadors will meet on Wednesday morning to analyze the Commission’s proposals. One of them finds it difficult to reach an agreement during the day and expects Thursday instead.
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