BRUSSELS – Archyde.com
A source from the European Union said, on Monday, that the European Union countries are scheduled to adopt new sanctions against major Russian oil companies, “Rosneft”, “Transneft” and “Gazprom”, but will continue to buy oil from them.
The three companies are already subject to restrictions imposed by the European Union on loans and debt financing. According to the new package of sanctions, which will be discussed by the union’s top diplomats later on Monday, these companies will also face an investment ban expected to freeze their funding from EU sources for new exploration and production projects in all types of fossil fuels.
The source added that in a sign of the European Union’s concern about oil prices and supplies, the governments of the countries of the Union insisted on clarifying that the new measures will not prevent the countries of the Union and its companies from buying oil from the three Russian companies.
This contrasts with a measure taken by the United States last week to ban oil imports from Russia, which led to a jump in crude prices. The United States does not import as much gas from Russia as the European Union.