Qatar has warned it would stop supplying gas to Europe if the EU would not dilute or cancel its green rules. Previously, India has publicly expressed opposition to some aspects of the EU carbon tax, which has emerged as one of the contentious issues in India-EU trade talks.<\/p>\n
The European Union\u2019s (EU) green rules have emerged as contentious issues with major trading partners like Qatar and India.<\/p>\n
Qatar on Monday warned it would stop gas supplies to Europe if the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) would not be diluted or withdrawn. Previously, India has also opposed the EU\u2019s \u2018carbon tax\u2019, formally called Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).<\/p>\n
Qatar is among the largest gas-producers in the world. And it has emerged as a major supplier for Europe after EU members began to cut their gas imports from Russia after the country\u2019s forces launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.<\/p>\n
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD<\/p>\n
India and the EU are currently negotiating a free trade agreement. It has been reported that carbon tax is one of the sticking points. The two sides are committed to conclude the trade deal by the end of the year.<\/p>\n
Qatar oppose EU\u2019s green rules, India states red lines<\/strong><\/p>\n Qatar Energy Minister Saad Al-Kaabi on Monday said that the country would halt the supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Europe over EU\u2019s planned environmental and human rights rules.<\/p>\n The provision is titled Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) and requires large companies to fix the \u201cadverse human rights and environmental impacts\u201d of their global supply chains.<\/p>\n \u201cIf Europe does not look at how they can water down or cancel the CSDDD, and still have a penalty of 5 percent of our total world turnover as a penalty, we will not be delivering LNG to Europe, for sure,\u201d said Al-Kaabi, as per AFP.<\/p>\n As for India\u2019s position, India is formally \u201copposed o parts of it\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have very deep reservations about CBAM and we\u2019ve been quite open about it. The idea that one part of the world will set standards for everybody else is something which we are against,\u201d External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told Euractiv in June.<\/p>\n EU officials have said that they are working to arrive at a middle ground with India on the issue.<\/p>\n In September, EU chief negotiator Christophe Kiener told a meeting of the European Parliament\u2019s trade committee that the EU \u201cwill need to adjust the approach we usually take on trade and sustainable development\u201d to reach a deal with India.<\/p>\n STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD<\/p>\n \u201cThe notion that there would be a dispute settlement, let alone sanctions applying to those commitments, the idea that the commitments would be legally binding, that civil society would be involved in the management of the agreement from that perspective, but also that those commitments would apply at the sub-federal level \u2014 these are elements that are very difficult for India,\u201d said Kiener, as per Euronews.<\/p>\n