Companies from Germany and the other EU countries should no longer be allowed to import Russian oil in the future.
This is what the EU Commission and the European Foreign Service are proposing for a new package of sanctions against Russia, as the German Press Agency in Brussels learned from several officials on Wednesday night.
In order to give the countries time for the changeover, there should be transitional periods.
Specifically, according to the information, it is planned that after a phase-out phase of six months an import ban for crude oil will apply and after a phase-out phase of eight months an import ban for oil products will also apply.
It should also play a role whether deliveries are made by pipeline or by ship.
According to the information, far-reaching exemptions are only planned for Hungary and Slovakia.
These two EU countries are currently still getting a large part of their oil needs from Russia and, due to a lack of access to the sea, do not see themselves in a position to develop alternative sources of supply as quickly as other countries.
In addition to the oil embargo, the proposal by the responsible EU institutions also includes new penalties against companies, according to dpa information.
Among the latter are the largest Russian bank, Sberbank, as well as two other banks and TV stations that are specifically spreading misinformation about the Ukraine war.
The banks should no longer be able to use the international financial communication system Swift.
New sanctions
Actors responsible for the Russian atrocities in Ukrainian cities such as Bucha and Mariupol are to be added to the EU list of people and organizations whose assets are to be frozen.
In order for the planned sanctions to come into force, the approval of the governments of all 27 EU countries is now required.
Therefore, their permanent representatives in Brussels want to start the consultations this Wednesday.
If there are no more major objections from the capitals, the embargo could then be decided in the coming days.