Czechia will not seek an extension of its exemption from the EU ban on imports of Russian oil products, the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade has confirmed, following an earlier report by Reuters.
The exemption, granted as part of EU sanctions against Russia for its aggression in Ukraine, expires on 5 December. Similar exemptions have also been granted to Slovakia and Hungary.
“In the context of the current situation and the steps the Czech Republic is taking to ensure independence from Russian oil imports, the country sees no reason to extend the exemption,” Marek Vošahlík, the ministry’s spokesperson, told Czech News Agency on Friday.
To reduce its dependence on Russian oil, Czechia plans to expand the Transalpine Pipeline (TAL) capacity. From next year, the pipeline will double its capacity, delivering up to eight million tonnes of oil a year to the country.
TAL, a major crude oil pipeline connecting the Italian port of Trieste to Central Europe, is crucial to the region’s energy security. As the Czech News Agency points out, the country gets its oil from two main routes. Of the 7.4 million tonnes imported last year, some 58% came through the Druzhba pipeline, which carries Russian oil. The rest comes through the German IKL pipeline connected to the Italian TAL pipeline.
In terms of gas imports from Russia, Czechia has seen a significant increase in recent weeks.
For most of this year, most of the gas to Czechia came from Germany, but in November, more than 95% of the supplies came from Slovakia. According to experts, this route is mainly used to transport Russian gas.
Analysts attribute this trend mainly to the lower market price of Russian gas, with transit fees making imports via Germany more expensive. The Industry and Trade Ministry has also acknowledged the impact of these fees on imports, noting that the Czech Republic had previously urged Germany to abolish them. The ministry expects this to happen early next year, after which imports from Germany are expected to rise again.
Tags Czech Republic Euractive Russia
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