EU High Representative Kallas suggests not waiting for sanctions packages to impose measures against tankers carrying Russian oil

BRUSSELS. Nov 21 (Interfax) - The measures the EU is taking against vessels thought to be carrying Russian oil do not necessarily have to be part of larger sanctions packages and could be applied at any time, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said.

Member states agreed "to be more agile, to do it faster, not to wait for the next [sanctions] package," she said at a press conference in Brussels on Thursday at the end of the Foreign Affairs Council session.

She said most ministers backed this approach to the so-called shadow fleet.

Kallas said she was confident European sanctions against such oil tankers were effective and that separate measures taken locally against this fleet relating to environmental protection, insurance coverage, and other aspects of maritime safety could also hinder its operations.

She said his idea was being discussed with member states and the European Commission to achieve greater flexibility in combating shadow fleet vessels. Work is also underway with partners from third countries. The EU is seeking to coordinate its efforts with the U.S. and the UK, which, in her view, makes the sanctions more effective.

Kallas said she hoped ongoing discussions on this topic would result in a mandate for negotiations to avoid making the relevant sanctions contingent on the adoption of the next major package, which would take a while.