The authorities of the city of The Hague (Netherlands) said they intend to ask for a temporary exemption from the implementation of EU sanctions against Russia, because they cannot yet find a replacement for Gazprom. This was announced on August 25 Archyde.com.
Anti-Russian sanctions require the European authorities to terminate existing contracts with Russian companies until October 10. For The Hague, this means the need to find a new gas supplier instead of Gazprom, with which an agreement has been signed. In June and July, the city held a pan-European tender but was unable to attract potential suppliers. Negotiations are now underway, but it is unlikely that an agreement will be signed before October 10.
“We will ask for an exception to our current agreement by January 1, 2023, to ensure the security of supply and facilitate negotiations,” City Councilwoman Saskia Bruines said in a statement.
She is confident that The Hague will receive a reprieve, as she fulfilled the condition for the tender to be held on time (though without achieving a positive result). She added that the new contract, which should come into force on January 1, will be much more expensive than the current one (with Gazprom).
The Hague is one of many municipalities in the Netherlands that have an agreement with Gazprom, but it was the first to say it would demand a temporary exemption from sanctions, the publication notes.