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| Netherlands City of The Hague Wants to be Exempt from Anti-Russian Sanctions |
Hague - Netherlands city of The Hague has said it will ask the European Union (EU) to grant temporary relief from anti-Russian sanctions. The city, known as the center of the International Criminal Court (ICC), reportedly wants to continue buying natural gas from Russian energy giant Gazprom until an alternative supplier is found.
According to Reuters, The Hague city council outlined its plan on Thursday (08/25/2022) which shows the city government held EU-wide tenders in June and July but failed to find a replacement for Russian gas. The EU sanctions, imposed in response to Russia's military offensive against Ukraine, mean all governments and public bodies in the bloc must terminate their existing contracts with Russian companies by October 10.
Authorities in The Hague believe an agreement with an alternative supplier will be reached eventually, but not before the October deadline, as indicated in a letter to the city council sent by Deputy Mayor Saskia Bruines and quoted by Reuters. "We will seek exceptions to our current arrangements until January 1, 2023 to ensure supply security and to facilitate negotiations," the official said.
Bruines reportedly went on to express confidence that the EU would grant the city an exception, as The Hague had tried in good faith to find a replacement. He acknowledged, however, that any new contracts would cost much more than the city currently has with Gazprom. The European Commission has not yet commented on the matter.
The Hague is said to be the first Dutch city to request an exemption, with more Dutch cities having contracts with Gazprom. Natural gas prices in Europe hit record highs immediately after the start of Russia's military campaign against Ukraine. While natural gas prices have since flattened, fossil fuels remain much more expensive than they were last year.
In addition, Russia has cut gas supplies in recent months citing technical problems caused by Western sanctions. European consumers, in turn, accuse Moscow of arming energy exports.