"We are very pleased to announce that we have just been notified by the remaining member state that it’s now able to lift its reservation on the 19th sanctions package,” the Danish presidency of the EU Council said in a statement.
“Consequently, a written procedure for Council approval has been launched. If no objections are received, the package will be adopted tomorrow by 8 a.m.,” it added.
Slovakia had been the final holdout after EU members agreed on the package’s final text last week, the Reuters news agency reported.
It said Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico sought assurances from the European Commission on high energy prices and climate targets for carmakers and heavy industry.
A Slovak diplomat said the country’s concerns were addressed in new clauses added to the final statement for Thursday’s EU leaders summit.
The LNG ban will be phased in over two stages: short-term contracts will end after six months, and long-term contracts will expire starting January 1, 2027.
The new package also imposes travel restrictions on Russian diplomats and adds more vessels from Moscow’s so-called “shadow fleet,” mostly oil tankers, according to Reuters.
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Source: Reuters, IAR, PAP