By Silvia Marchetti
ROME (MaceNews) – Italy expects Hungary to accept a European Union plan to ban Russian oil by the end of the week, and Rome is pressing for an EU-wide ban on all Russian fossil fuels including gas, according to Italian ruling coalition sources.
“There has been a delay in the approval of the boycott, expected to kick-off by year-end in the EU, but gaps between east European countries initially against it, and other states are reducing and an approval of the ban within the EU Council is expected over the next few days. There is already a political agreement, as everyone agrees it is the only way to stop the war and damage Moscow, there are just a few technical details to be honed,” said an official.
Rome has been pressing its EU partners to proceed with a ban on both oil and gas, despite its heavy current reliance on Russian gas. Italian imports of Russian energy products are now expected to drop by two thirds by end of this year as the Italian government seeks alternative energy sources and partners, and is boosting the use of new offshore liquified gas stations.
Italian officials explained that the ‘technical issue’ which needed to be overcome to allow all 27 EU member states to back a Russian oil ban primarily regards “adequate compensation schemes for eastern European countries most reliant on Russian oil and unable in the short term to find other alternative sources or to convert their plants.”
Europe imports from Russia a quarter of its oil but countries such as Hungary, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia are totally dependent on it. This bloc, also known as the Visegrad Group for its frequent populist stance against mainstream European initiatives, is being offered the option, within the sixth package of the EU’s anti-Russia sanctions envisaging the oil ban, to buy time by delaying the embargo to the end of 2024.
The full boycott would be introduced in the rest of the EU by the end of this year for refined oil products, and by the next six months for crude oil.
Hungary and the other eastern members heavily reliant on Russian oil could be given financial support to convert their refineries, which can now only take Russian oil, into ‘universal’ plants.
“The official green light from all 27 members all comes down to giving Hungary and other eastern members the right amount of money and compensation as per the European spirit of solidarity among peers. These countries are most vulnerable given they are stuck in Europe’s mainland ‘deadlock’ and do not have access to the sea for alternative supply from other producing states or alternative energy infrastructure like offshore platforms,” said another source.
Progress in EU talks is expected to be made on Wednesday when the Coreper (the committee of permanent representatives of the EU) will gather to likely finalize the package of sanctions. To be approved, the package must be supported by all 27 members, and any one country has a veto power with which it can block the implementation.
Italian sources argue the delay in approving Russian oil ban, which was meant to be cleared last week, proved the need to modify the voting scheme within the European Union council from current unanimity to a qualified majority of two-thirds to avoid future stalemates in emergency situations.