Brussels sees no risk to security of supply in Hungary linked to Friendship pipeline shutdown
Transit has been suspended since the end of January on the Friendship oil pipeline supplying Hungary and Slovakia after a fire broke out near the pipeline following a Russian drone attack in the Lviv region, and transport was halted due to security measures. Although the Hungarian Foreign Ministry says the pipeline itself was not damaged, Budapest and Bratislava sent a letter to Croatia over the weekend asking for Russian crude oil to be delivered via the Adria pipeline from the sea due to the disruption.
These incidents are not unique. Last August, for example, an attack on a pumping station in Bryansk caused a temporary shutdown, once again highlighting that disruptions to one of the region's most important supply routes directly impact the operation of Central European refineries and the security of energy supplies.
European Commission spokeswoman Anna-Kaisa Itkonen confirmed at an EC midday press briefing today that they had been notified by the Hungarian government of a request for a temporary exemption to import seaborne Russian crude oil via Croatia amid this interruption of oil flow on the Druzhba pipeline. She stressed that this was caused by Russian drone attacks that destroyed that particular part.
"For us the priority is energy security. This is, for us, the absolute priority that we work on. We remain in contact with al the relevant parties related to this incident and its follow-up, and
we stand ready to call an emergency oil coordination group meeting to discuss the possible impact of the supply disruption and any possible alternatives to fuel supply,
she said. She highlighted that the importance is for the member states to have no security of supply issues, adding that
"there are no short-term risks to security of supply, because both hungary and slovakia hold 90 days' worth of emergency stocks in reserve."
This, she added, is due to the REPowerEU policies that they have in place since 2020. Itkonen also said
"we are also in contact with ukraine on the timeline of the reparation of the pipeline, how quickly it might be up and running." They are also in contact with hungary and croatia.
She reiterated that security of supply is an absolute priority for the Commission.
Siobhan McGarry then outlined the legal framework for sanctions, explaining the circumstances in which a member state may be permitted to temporarily purchase Russian oil by sea, despite the oil embargo adopted in 2022.
She recalled that in regulation 833, which is the EU's sanctions regulation, there is an Article 3m (4), which does allow for an exception from the import ban on crude oil and petroleum products where the supply of crude oil by pipeline from Russia to a landlocked member state is interrupted for reasons outside the control of that member state.
the exception is temporary until the supply is resumed or until there is a council decision to apply the import ban.
"For as long as the exception applies, that member state is required to report to the Commission every three months on the amounts of seaborne crude oil that it imports from Russia. So, that is the legal basis," she added.
When asked if Hungary, Slovakia or Croatia need the Commission's approval to use that exemption and if so have they asked for it, McGarry referred back to the text of the regulation, noting that to her knowledge
there hasn't been a request, but if otherwise, they will provide information.
In response to a question about consultations with the European Commission and the US OFAC regarding possible transport licences, the spokespersons did not engage in speculation. They reiterated that they had outlined the legal framework, and confirmed that the European Commission was in contact with the relevant member states and Ukraine. They emphasised that, at this stage, they did not wish to provide further details or speculate on potential licensing decisions.
Cover photo: EU
