EU bans Russians from booking capacity in gas storage facilities

As part of the European Union’s latest package of sanctions against Russia, Russian nationals and companies have been banned from booking capacity in natural gas storage facilities in the EU since Sunday. The EU aims to strengthen the bloc’s energy security with this move. 

"Russian entities have sometimes booked capacity in gas storage facilities in the past and not used it, preventing EU companies from using it," one EU official told journalists on Monday, according to Montel.

This created an energy security problem for some EU countries, the official, who wished to remain anonymous, said.

“Since gas storage capacity is a critical asset for the security of gas supplies in the Union, Decision (CFSP) 2023/434 prohibits the provision of gas storage capacity in the Union to Russian nationals, natural persons residing in Russia, or legal persons or entities established in Russia,” says the legal text published on Saturday in the Official Journal of the EU.