From the 11th local time, the EU's embargo on Russian coal came into effect.
In April this year, the EU decided to impose a coal embargo on Russia. The EU initially proposed a 90-day transition period for member states, but it was extended to 120 days at the request of Germany and other countries.
This means that the transition period expires at midnight local time on the 10th of this month, and the embargo officially takes effect from the 11th.
The coal embargo on Russia is one of the fifth round of EU sanctions against Russia, and it is also the first time the EU has imposed sanctions on Russian energy since the Ukraine crisis.
At present, the European Union is stepping up efforts to purchase coal from countries such as South Africa, hoping to fill the market gap.
However, it is generally believed within the EU that although coal can be imported from other countries and regions, the cost will rise; the embargo on Russian coal also means that the EU region will face higher electricity prices.
(Headquarters reporter Zheng Zhi)