Finland allows ban on LNG exports from Russia in 2025
Finland may stop buying Russian LNG in 2025 as a result of the gas market reform agreed in December 2023, Azernews reports.
Helsingin Sanomat reported this from the words of Climate and Environment Minister Kai Mykkanen.
"I don't want to promise a specific date, but hopefully next year we will be in a situation where the ban will come into force," the minister said.
According to the minister, a simpler solution would be for the European Union to adopt appropriate sanctions, but some countries are not ready for that.
The minister emphasised that Finland imported a small volume of Russian LNG, but "this issue is not significant".
The gas reform allows EU countries to ban the purchase of pipeline and liquefied natural gas on security grounds. The regulation is due to come into force in the spring, after which the government will be able to submit its proposals to ban imports for a limited period of time. Latvia and Lithuania have already banned Russian gas imports, but Finland has been pushing for gas market reform to come into force so that the decision is simple and has greater legal certainty.
Russia sold about 16 million tonnes of LNG to European countries in 2023. Together with the reduction in pipeline gas pumping, LNG supplies have increased. The largest buyers of Russian LNG were Spain (first place among the other suppliers), France, Belgium and the Netherlands. The contract for pipeline gas supplies to Finland from Russia was terminated in May 2022.
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