By Kate Abnett BRUSSELS, March 12 (Reuters) - The European Commission will instruct governments to be flexible in enforcing EU rules on gas imports, diplomats told Reuters on Thursday, amid fears they
EU to soften gas authorisation rules to help secure supplies, diplomats say
By Kate Abnett
European Commission Plans to Ease Gas Import Regulations
BRUSSELS, March 12 (Reuters) - The European Commission will instruct governments to be flexible in enforcing EU rules on gas imports, diplomats told Reuters on Thursday, a move likely to benefit imports from Azerbaijan.
Upcoming Guidance on Russian Gas Phase-Out
The Commission plans to issue guidance before March 18 on how to apply rules within the European Union law to phase out Russian gas, the diplomats said.
Purpose of the Guidance
The guidance is an attempt by Brussels to prevent its Russia phase-out rules from inadvertently choking Europe's gas supply at a moment of vulnerability, after some countries raised concerns the rules could hold up deliveries needed to stabilise supplies during the Iran crisis.
It would not affect the EU's phase-out of Russian gas.
Impact of Global Events on Gas Supply
With the Iran conflict rattling global liquefied natural gas flows and raising the risk of cargo diversions, EU officials fear rigid enforcement could delay shipments, undermining the bloc's ability to keep storage adequately stocked.
Details of the Prior Authorisation Rules
The rules in question require that shipments of pipeline gas or LNG from certain non-Russian countries receive "prior authorisation" - meaning companies must provide European customs authorities with proof of the gas's origin five days before it arrives in the EU.
Main Beneficiaries and Affected Countries
The main country affected by a softening of the "prior authorisation" rules would be Azerbaijan, which last year supplied 4% of EU gas imports. Azeri gas reaches Europe via Turkey, which is a large importer of Russian gas.
Italy and Greece are among the EU countries that import gas from Azerbaijan, through the Southern Gas Corridor pipeline.
Potential for New LNG Suppliers
Diplomats said the guidance could also help the EU source LNG from new suppliers, if the disruption in global markets means countries struggle to cover their gas needs from existing partners.
Current Exemptions and Industry Response
The EU has already said its main gas suppliers, including Norway and the U.S., will not face the prior authorisation rules since the EU deems the risk of Russian gas entering their exports to be low.
Europe's gas industry had already asked Brussels to temporarily suspend the rules on prior authorisation.
Industry Concerns
"We simply cannot afford that a single flexible LNG cargo is delayed in port, stranded at sea, or rerouted to Asia because prior authorisation is unclear or pending," industry group Eurogas said.
(Reporting by Kate Abnett. Additional reporting by Julia Payne. Editing by Jan Harvey and Mark Potter)
