Dutch entities that unnecessarily terminated their Gazprom contracts due to government pressure to comply with EU sanctions will be reimbursed entirely, Climate and Energy Minister Rob Jetten (D66/Renew) wrote in a letter to parliament on Wednesday.
For fear that the contracts would breach EU sanctions, Jetten pressured Dutch communities, educational institutions and water authorities last September – just before EU sanctions were to come into force – to renounce their energy contracts with Russian suppliers by 10 October 2022.
“I have taken this decision because, on the one hand, I want to completely remove the perceived disadvantage to the relevant contracting authorities and special sector companies, and on the other hand, because only partial concession is expected to give rise to new discussions,” Jetten states in the letter to parliament.
The renunciations were unnecessary after the European Commission greenlighted Germany’s nationalisation of energy provider Securing Energy for Europe (SEFE), the judicial successor of Gazprom Germania, in November last year.
The Dutch entities had contracts with a Dutch subsidiary of SEFE, NOS reports.
Nonetheless, several entities had already closed new energy supply deals following market prices, which were considerably higher than those in the prior SEFE contracts.
In total, the compensation will amount to roughly €74 million. The entities in question will receive compensation for extra costs incurred from 10 October until the end of the original SEFE contract.
(Benedikt Stöckl | EURACTIV.com)
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