European Commission scraps proposal to halt Russian LNG imports amidst trade tensions

The European Commission (EC) has abandoned a proposal to ban Russian LNG imports, which had been under review as part of new restrictive measures. The decision came after talks with several EU member states that expressed worries over the lack of alternative energy sources, Reuters reports.

When assessing the current environment, EC officials stressed the need to maintain a firm negotiating stance in the dialogues with the United States. While Washington has advocated more purchases of US gas, it has yet to set clear conditions for lifting trade tariffs, the agency notes. Meanwhile, EU countries are exploring various scenarios to diversify their energy supplies to avoid new dependencies.

The European Commission is in the process of developing a new strategy and plans to unveil a roadmap for completely phasing out Russian power resources by 2027. This document, which is currently being drafted, is likely to go public in early May, although specific details remain confidential for the time being, Reuters says.