Regulators in Brussels have halted an antitrust probe into QatarEnergy, according to two people briefed on the matter, three years after the European Commission opened an investigation into the company’s 20-year gas contracts.
The decision comes amid concerns that gas supplies from Russia to Europe could be disrupted if the Kremlin decides to invade Ukraine. Talk of a Russian attack has increased scrutiny on Europe’s energy security and its dependence on Russia, which supplies about 40 per cent of the continent’s gas.
The people said the move was not connected to the tensions. One person briefed on the discussions said the EU first considered dismissing the case last year as “the EU and the UK realised that they were facing energy poverty” when a gas shortage sent prices rocketing. This was prior to the Russian crisis.