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EU countries to talk about hurdles to stopping Russian gas, file shows

European Union nations' energy ministers will talk about next week the barriers they are facing to end their dependence on Russian natural gas, and think about asking Brussels for more aid to do this, an EU file seen revealed.

Given that Moscow attacked Ukraine and slashed gas deliveries to Europe in 2022, the EU has actually quickly replaced Russian fuel with renewable resource and more gas from other providers. In 2015, 15% of EU gas came from Russia, below 45% in 2021.

At a meeting in Brussels May 30, EU nations' energy ministers will discuss development towards ending their dependence on Russian fossil fuels by 2027, according to an EU file seen .

The document, prepared by Belgium which currently chairs EU countries' meetings, asks ministers to determine the challenges they are dealing with in phasing out Russian energy imports. One such challenge has been for land-locked countries to build or re-tool pipelines to import gas from non-Russian sources.

The document likewise asks the ministers to consider: What. extra initiatives need to be launched to support the EU and. its Member States in our efforts to phase out dependence on. Russian fossil fuels as soon as possible?

With EU elections happening June 6-9, EU diplomats said. the objective of the conference is to steer the next European Commission,. which will be accountable for proposing any brand-new EU procedures. required to speed up efforts to give up Russian energy and expand. clean power.

The EU has actually assigned nearly 300 billion euros in grants and. loans to stop Russian fuel, however some nations - consisting of. Austria and Hungary - stay greatly reliant on Russian gas.

Individually, EU countries will today discuss potential. sanctions on trans-shipments of Russian melted natural gas,. however have not considered straight-out banning imports, offered some. countries' heavy dependence. Coal and sea-borne oil imports from. Russia are prohibited by EU sanctions.

A second file, prepared ahead of the conference and seen by. , asks ministers to recommend how the EU can make much faster. progress towards its target to get 42.5% of all energy from. eco-friendly sources by 2030. In 2022, the most recent information. available, the EU generated 23% of its energy from renewable. sources.

Europe is installing renewable resource at a record pace, but. meeting the 42.5% target will require a velocity in the. next few years. EU wind and solar capacity grew by more than a. 3rd from 2021-2023.

(source: Reuters)