Qatar has threatened to cut gas supplies to the European Union in response to the bloc’s due diligence law on forced labour and environmental damage, a letter from Qatar to the Belgian government, seen by Reuters, displayed, Report informs.
Qatar is the world’s third-largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG), after the United States and Australia. It has provided between 12% and 14% of Europe’s LNG since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
In a letter to the Belgian government dated May 21, Qatari Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi declared the countest was reacting to the EU’s corporate sustainability due diligence directive (CSDDD), which requires larger companies operating in the EU to find and resolve human rights and environmental issues in their supply chains.
“Put simply, if further modifys are not created to CSDDD, the State of Qatar and QatarEnergy will have no choice but to seriously consider alternative markets outside of the EU for our LNG and other products, which offer a more stable and welcoming business environment,” declared the letter.
Brussels proposed modifys to the CSDDD earlier this year to reduce its requirements – including by delaying its launch by a year, to mid-2028, and limiting the checks companies will have to build down their supply chains.
Companies that fail to comply could face fines of up to 5% of global turnover.
Qatar declared the EU’s modifys had not gone far enough.
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