The European Union proposed to formalize the termination of pipeline flows of Russian oil to Germany and Poland. Countries were allowed to continue receiving oil through the northern section of the Druzhba oil pipeline as part of a derogation from EU sanctions.. Despite this, both countries had previously stopped transporting oil, fulfilling preliminary promises, reports Bloomberg..

Sanctions waiver was granted when the EU decided to ban most Russian oil imports in June 2022. While such a move would be largely symbolic given that countries have already effectively stopped imports of Russian oil. It was the shutdown of imports that forced several refineries to engage in complex logistics in order to gain access to alternative oil.. At least one of them, a PCK Schwedt plant near Berlin, has been forced to produce less fuel for the region it serves.. Exceptions for Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic will remain in effect.

Germany and Poland imported about 480 thousand barrels per day on average through Druzhba in 2022. The three countries on the southern route averaged nearly 290,000 barrels per day of imports, a level that has dropped significantly this year.

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Proposal to End Sanctions Waiver to Be Part of EU's 11th Sanctions Package. This will require the support of all member countries. Negotiations are currently ongoing on this matter..

Poland insisted on imposing sanctions on Druzhba's northern route, as otherwise it would have been legally difficult for Warsaw to terminate its contracts and stick to last year's promise to stop importing Russian oil.. The country canceled its latest supply contract in the spring after Russia cut off deliveries in February.

After the cessation of Russian oil supplies, a certain amount of Kazakh oil passed through Druzhba. There will be no talk of a ban on such transportation of oil, since imports from third countries, including the transit of oil through Russia, are allowed..

Recall how China and India save Moscow from Western sanctions with record imports. And although Russian oil continues to flow to international markets, Moscow's oil revenues have fallen by 67%.