EU Ditches Traditional Sanctions Packages Amid Greece-Russia LNG Row

The European Union is set to change its approach to imposing sanctions on Russia following a tense standoff over Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments. The dispute, centered around George Procopiou's shipping firm Dynagas, has exposed the EU's traditional framework of grouping measures together for collective approval. This approach has been criticized as ineffective and prone to delay due to national veto threats.

Greece had blocked a recent sanctions package unless other EU states agreed to grant Dynagas an exemption from an unrelated sanction on Russian LNG transshipments to non-EU countries. The tactic, deemed 'outrageous' by several EU diplomats, has marked the first time the EU's overarching framework of economic sanctions against Russia has been diluted.

The crisis has led officials to consider a new approach: agreeing upon and implementing sanctions individually or through small thematic clusters. This would reduce the risk of delay due to national veto threats and allow powerful measures to be swiftly approved without public exposure.