The European Union will effectively and permanently stop the import of Russian gas and move towards the phaseout of Russian oil under the provisional political agreement reached by the European Parliament and the Council on 3 December.
EU Sets Final Deadline to End Russian Gas Imports
According to the Union, this decision will end the EU’s dependence on an unreliable supplier, which has repeatedly destabilised European energy markets, put at risk security of supply with energy blackmail and harmed the European economy. As set out in the REPowerEU Roadmap, the full phaseout of Russian fossil fuels is an essential step to guarantee Europe’s energy independence, competitiveness, resilience and market stability.
The agreement ensures a gradual but permanent end of Russian gas imports with LNG imports phased out by 31 December 2026 and pipeline gas by 30 September 2027. Exceptionally, Member States may extend this deadline until 31 October 2027 in case their storage levels are below the required filling levels. In particular:
- For short-term supply contracts concluded before 17 June 2025, the prohibition of Russian gas imports will apply from 25 April 2026 for LNG and 17 June 2026 for pipeline gas.
- For long-term contracts for LNG imports concluded before 17 June 2025, the prohibition will apply from 1 January 2027, in line with the 19th sanctions package.
- Pipeline gas imports under long-term contracts will only be allowed until 30 September 2027. In the event Member States face difficulties to fill the required storage levels, the import ban for pipelines would only apply as of 1 November 2027.
- Amendments to existing contracts will be permitted only for narrowly defined operational purposes and cannot lead to increased volumes or prices.
Therefore, by November 2027 the latest, the EU will have phased out, once and for all, Russian gas imports.
“Today, we enter the era of Europe’s full energy independence from Russia. REPowerEU has delivered. It shielded us from the worst energy crisis in decades, and it helped us to transition from Russian fossil fuels at record speed. Today, we are stopping these imports permanently. By depleting Putin’s war chest, we stand in solidarity with Ukraine and set our sights on new energy partnerships and opportunities for the sector”
Under the political agreement, strong safeguards against circumvention are included, all in addition to customs control and surveillance framework which is already in place.
Provisions to enhance the transparency, monitoring, and traceability of Russian gas within EU markets will support the effective implementation of the import ban.
For Russian gas imported during the transition period, prior authorisation comes with the submission of very detailed information to make sure that imports are limited to volumes based on historical (existing) contracts.
Concerning the import of non-Russian gas, importers need to provide information on the country of production; while exempted countries are those exporters which supplied 5 bcm to the EU in 2024 and have either sanctions in place or have no infrastructure to import gas.
EU Sets New Rules to Enforce Russian Gas Phaseout
According to the deal, Member States will have to submit national diversification plans outlining measures to diversifying their gas and oil supplies by 1 March 2026. They will also be required to notify the Commission within one month of the Regulation’s entry into force whether they have Russian gas supply contracts or national legal bans in place.
The Commission will undertake an assessment of the plans and issue recommendations, where appropriate, no later than three months after receiving the plans. Moreover, the Commission is ready to support the Member States throughout the entire process.
To avoid circumvention of the gas ban, the new Regulation establishes monitoring mechanisms and the obligation for authorities to cooperate and exchange information on imports of natural gas.
The Commission will support the Member States and will monitor closely, together with EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER), the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) and the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), the progress and impacts of the phase-out of Russian gas and oil imports.
The measures set out in the Regulation will be deployed in carefully timed and well-coordinated manner with the Member States, to minimise possible impacts on prices, stabilise markets through secure and predictable alternative supplies and provide legal certainty.
The Commission remains committed to ensure the phase out of all remaining oil imports from Russia by the end of 2027, in line with the Versailles Declaration. A legislative proposal to ban Russian oil imports will be tabled early next year.
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Source: safety4sea
