Qatar again threatens Europe with stopping gas supplies
27 July 2025 06:04
Qatar has warned the Belgian authorities of its intention to reduce the supply of liquefied natural gas to European countries due to disagreement with the EU Directive on corporate sustainability due diligence.
According to DW and Reuters, five days earlier, Qatar’s Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi, head of Qatar Energy, sent a four-page letter to the authorities in Brussels, in which he explicitly stated that if the European Union refuses to revise the content of the directive, LNG, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
“If no further changes are made, the State of Qatar and Qatar Energy will have to seriously consider reorienting supplies to other markets outside the EU where there is a more stable and favorable business environment,” the letter says.
Qatar is particularly concerned about the Directive’s requirement to have a climate change adaptation transition plan agreed to prevent global warming from exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius. “Neither the state of Qatar nor Qatar Energy plans to achieve zero emissions in the near future,” said Al-Kaabi, adding that the provisions of the European document contradict the current legislation of Qatar and violate the norms of international agreements. In particular, he referred to the Paris Climate Agreement, which gives countries the right to independently determine their domestic climate strategies.
This was the second warning issued by the Qatari authorities. Saad al-Qaabi announced the suspension of gas supplies to Europe if the emirate is fined for human rights violations or environmental damage in an interview with the Financial Times (FT) published on December 22.
Sources in the European Commission (EC) told Reuters that the European Parliament and EU member states are already discussing the simplification of the directive proposed by the European Commission.
“They will have to consider and approve the substantial changes proposed by the EC,” a spokesperson said.
