EU to give member states authority to halt Russian gas imports - FT
Dec 8 (Reuters) - The European Union is poised to give its member states the power to halt gas imports from Russia and Belarus, the Financial Times reported on Friday.
Any member state will be able to block companies from Russia and Belarus from obtaining space in their gas pipelines and liquefied natural gas terminals, the FT reported, citing a draft legal text proposed by Brussels.
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EU member states could have the authority to "partially or, where justified, completely limit" access to infrastructure to gas operators from Russia and Belarus, in order to protect their vital security interests, the newspaper said.
The negotiators from member nations and the European Parliament are expected to endorse the preliminary text on Friday, the report added.
The European Commission declined to comment on the report.
The EU previously implemented a collaborative gas procurement initiative in order to replenish gas reserves ahead of winter and avoid a repeat of last year's record-high energy prices and concerns about deficits in Europe resulting from Russia's reduction of gas supplies.
The member nations of EU are also currently engaged in discussions over a proposal put forth by the Commission regarding the 12th package of economic sanctions imposed on Russia as a response to their invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022. (Reporting by Anirudh Saligrama in Bengaluru; Editing by Kim Coghill)