According to Reuters, 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 repair human rights and environmental issues in their supply chains.
“Put simply, if further alters 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.
A spokesperson for Belgium’s representation to the EU declined to comment on the letter, which was first reported by German newspaper Welt am Sonntag.
The European Commission also received a letter from Qatar, dated May 13, a Commission spokesperson informed Reuters, noting that EU lawbuildrs and countries are currently nereceivediating alters to the CSDDDD.
“It is now for them to nereceivediate and adopt the substantive simplification alters proposed by the Commission,” the spokesperson declared.
Brussels proposed alters 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 alters had not gone far enough.
In the letter, Kaabi declared Qatar was particularly concerned about the CSDDD’s requirement for companies have a climate alter transition plan aligned with preventing global warming exceeding 1.5 celsius – the goal of the Paris Agreement.
MNA
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