The Dutch metropolis of The Hague mentioned that it’ll apply for a brief waiver of EU sanctions in opposition to Russia to proceed receiving fuel from Gazprom because it struggles to search out another provider.
In a letter to town council despatched earlier this week, alderman Saskia Bruines wrote {that a} European tender in June and July to safe fuel from different suppliers has did not get any bids.
European governments and public our bodies are required by the bloc’s fifth bundle of sanctions in opposition to Russia over its full-scale invasion of neighbouring Ukraine to finish present contracts with Russian firms by 10 October on the newest.
“Restricted exceptions could also be granted by the competent authorities the place there isn’t any viable different,” the European Fee mentioned on the time.
That is what the Netherlands’ third-biggest metropolis, which has a pre-existing contract with Gazprom, now intends to do.
Bruines wrote that town is now in negotiations with plenty of potential suppliers for a contract that may begin on 1 January 2023, and that as such “we are going to ask for an exemption for our present association till Jan. 1 2023 to ensure the security of provide and to facilitate negotiations.”
She opined that the waiver “will (most certainly) be granted because the situation for this has been met, particularly a well timed tender process for a brand new fuel contract.”
She warned nevertheless that the brand new contract “will result in (considerably) greater prices for pure fuel” and that “with the present unstable market, it isn’t but potential to make a concrete assertion on the extent of the rise.”
“It stays due to this fact of nice significance to take measures to scale back the consumption of pure fuel. The last word purpose is to cease utilizing pure fuel altogether. Direct financial savings alternatives, comparable to turning down the thermostat in chilly intervals, are already being ready,” she mentioned.
