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European lawmakers are pressuring the European Commission this week to stop an alumina refinery in Ireland from supplying material used to make Russian weapons deployed in the war on Ukraine.
European Parliament Vice President Pina Picierno submitted a formal written question to the Commission on Wednesday, asking if it intends to include alumina exports in its sanctions list “given its documented use in the Russian military industry.”
“It is unacceptable that, while the EU funds Ukraine's defence, a Russian-owned company operates undisturbed within a Member State, supplying the Kremlin's military industry,” Picierno wrote in her statement.
Picierno cited a report by OCCRP and its partners iStories, KibOrg, De Tijd, the Irish Times, the Guardian, and Delfi detailing the supply chain of Aughinish Alumina, Europe’s largest alumina refinery. Alumina is a material refined from bauxite ore, often used in the smelting of aluminum and as an extremely hard industrial ceramic.
The investigation by OCCRP and its partners found that since 2023, the Irish facility has sent more than half of its alumina exports to Russian smelters owned by its parent company, the Russian aluminum giant Rusal. Because EU sanctions currently ban the import of Russian aluminum but do not restrict the export of alumina to Russia, the shipments remain entirely legal.
According to the investigation, the Russian smelters subsequently sold more than $650 million worth of aluminum to a Moscow-based trader. That trader, in turn, supplied more than 40 Russian arms companies that are currently under EU sanctions.
In a similar move, Dutch MEP Bart Groothuis wrote in a post on X: “It is irresponsible how companies like Aughinish Alumina operate in Europe while simultaneously aiding the Russian arms industry.
In his post, he shared a March 27 letter he sent to the Commission’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas and European Commissioner for Trade Maroš Šefčovič calling for a ban on both the export and import of aluminum to and from Russia, also citing the OCCRP investigation. Groothuis stated he is currently awaiting a reply.
In response to previous inquiries following the investigation, Commissioner Šefčovič issued a statement that addressed only the ban on aluminum imports from Russia. He noted that existing restrictions were extended under the 14th sanctions package to cover primary aluminum, resulting in an import ban effective from February 26, 2026.
"EU sanctions are regularly evaluated. Decisions to amend existing sanctions or to introduce new sanctions must be taken by the Council by unanimous vote," Šefčovič said.
The parliamentarians' statements are part of a growing effort to press the EU into closing this particular loophole allowing for the supply of Russian weapons manufacturers. Following the release of the OCCRP investigation, Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot announced that Belgium would lobby the EU to expand its sanctions regime to ensure that raw materials produced in Europe cannot be repurposed for the Russian war effort.
In Ireland, a government spokesperson told the Irish Times that authorities were “aware of reports relating to Aughinish Alumina,” were taking them “very seriously,” and were actively examining the issues raised.
