site.btaAs It Plans to Phase Out Russian Gas, EC Suggests Hungary Will Have to Monitor Gas Origin to Ensure Compliance

As it is about to stop using Russian gas and oil completely, the European Commission (EC) suggests that the Hungarian Customs will have to make sure the gas that reaches them is not Russian. The EC held a news conference on the matter a day after it unveiled a proposal for a gradual phase-out of Russian gas and oil imports into the EU, aiming to effectively stop the import by the end of 2027.

A EC Spokesperson was asked to explain why gas flowing from Croatia to Serbia would be treated differently than gas to Serbia via Bulgaria. 

She said that "Russian gas destined for third countries is not covered by the phase out or the ban. if you want to call it that". "The regulation does not apply to Serbia. We mean that Serbia can import for their own purposes Russian gas. So if Russian gas via Serbia continues its way to Hungary, the regulation kicks in and the Hungarian customs authorities need to check whether the gas that comes via Serbia is of Russian origin or not," the spokesperson said.  

Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) MP Ivaylo Mirchev said earlier on Thursday that the contemplated EC ban on Russian gas and oil means that from now on, once the regulation is adopted, if Bulgaria wants to transit gas, it has to prove that it is not Russian. He said it is very difficult to prove another origin of the gas when the pipe comes from Russia and has always carried Russian gas and when the company that transports and buys the capacity is called Gazprom Export.