EU’s full ban on Russian coal to be pushed back

European Union envoys are set to approve on Thursday a ban on Russian coal that would take full effect from mid-August, a month later than initially proposed, an EU source told Reuters, following pressure from Germany to delay the measure.

The phase-out of EU imports of Russian coal is the cornerstone measure in a fifth package of sanctions against Russia that the EU Commission proposed this week, as a reaction to atrocities in the Ukrainian town of Bucha.

Once approved, it will be the EU's first ban on any import of energy from Russia since the start of what the Kremlin calls a "special operation" in Ukraine on February 24.

Oil and gas, which represent far bigger imports from Moscow, are still untouched.

Much of Europe's buying of Russian coal is in the spot market, rather than long-term contracts. Those spot purchases would be halted immediately after sanctions are imposed.

The EU Commission had initially proposed a wind-down period of three months for existing contracts, meaning that Russia could effectively still export coal to the EU for 90 days after sanctions were imposed, according to a document seen by Reuters.