Media: The Netherlands will release a number of cities from EU sanctions against Russia

MOSCOW, 7 Sep — PRIME. The Dutch government has allowed some cities, including The Hague, to use contracts signed with a Gazprom subsidiary until at least January 1, Reuters reports.

According to sanctions imposed by the EU against Russia after the start of a special operation in Ukraine, governments and other state bodies must terminate existing contracts with Russian companies by October 10. The Dutch Hague is trying to find a replacement for the Russian gas supplier Gazprom, but attempts in June and July to attract suppliers were unsuccessful. A number of city councils in the Netherlands, due to difficulties in finding alternatives to Russian energy carriers, have also asked the government to temporarily exempt them from EU sanctions against Russia.

According to the agency, which refers to a letter addressed to parliament by Dutch climate and energy minister Rob Jetten, cities in the country will be allowed to use contracts until at least January 1, 2023.

According to Jetten, the government believes that the German “daughter” of “Gazprom” is subject to European sanctions against the Russian Federation, but requires clarification from the European Commission. He noted that the German government does not own the shares of the company, therefore it falls under the sanctions regime. Yetten called the company “belonging to Russia.”

In April, the German authorities announced the transfer of Gazprom Germania GmbH to the Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) until September 30 under temporary trusteeship. The country’s Ministry of Economy (BMWK) believes that the company was acquired by some investors without obtaining permission, which makes the transaction invalid. As a result, an audit is now underway, and the appointment of an interim trustee will ensure the effective exercise of the right to audit, says BMWK. Later, the country’s Cabinet of Ministers officially extended external management with the possibility of multiple extensions of its term in accordance with the recently adopted amendments to the law on energy security. In addition, the government decided to rename the company, now it will be called Securing Energy for Europe Gmbh, abbreviated as SEFE (“Securing Energy for Europe”), “to send a clear signal to the market that the purpose of these measures is to guarantee the energy security of Germany and Europe” .