The Spanish government announced Friday the opening of an investigation into the possible entry into its territory of Russian oil via third countries. He called for a common European response to “strengthen the traceability” of fuel imports.

“Faced with the slightest suspicion, it is necessary to check” if “the imported products come from the place indicated or from another country, and if there has been any irregularity”, explained in a message sent to AFP the Minister of Ecological Transition, Teresa Ribera.

“It is this fear” that prompted Spain to “investigate” the possible arrival on its territory of oil of Russian origin, added the minister, recalling that fuel imports are “in theory accompanied by documents proving their origin”.

Concealed origin

The European Union banned the import of Russian petroleum products on its territory on February 5, as part of a new package of sanctions adopted in response to Moscow’s offensive once morest Ukraine launched in February 2022.

But oil industry experts and officials suspect Russia – which has turned to other markets, such as China and India – of continuing to export oil to the EU via third countries, where its origin is concealed.

“Russian diesel continues to circulate on the European and Spanish market,” denounced Thursday the CEO of the Spanish oil giant Repsol, Josu Jon Imaz, calling on the community authorities to show “firmness” on this subject.

Morocco singled out

In its edition dated Friday, the Spanish daily El Mundo points the responsibility of Morocco which, according to him, has greatly increased its imports of Russian oil in recent months while starting to export diesel to Spain.

In Rabat, three parliamentary opposition groups recently called for the setting up of a commission of inquiry into “doubts and suspicions” surrounding the import of Russian diesel by fuel companies, and “a possible resale of this fuel to countries that prohibit its importation”.

This initiative did not succeed because it did not have the majority of votes needed to form a commission of inquiry.

Asked last month, the spokesman for the Moroccan government, Mustapha Baïtas, assured that the share of Russian diesel in Morocco’s imports is 9%, “as has been the case for several years”, without wanting to mention suspicions of a possible resale of this fuel to European countries from Morocco.

“The first elements” communicated by the importers “show that everything is apparently in order and that the products do not come from Russia, but we are vigilant and will closely follow the evolution of the situation to corroborate this definitively”, underlines Teresa Ribera .

European response

According to the ministry, Mrs Ribera will send a letter to Brussels to demand the “immediate start” of a European response in order to “strengthen the traceability” of oil imported by the EU with the obligation of a certificate to the leaving the refineries as at the exit of the ports.

“This certificate must contain all the elements – volume, date, etc. – guaranteeing that the imports” are not subject to “sanctions”, insists the ministry, calling for “remain intransigent in the application of the sanctions”.

ats, afp