Aiming to Cut off Russian Gas: EU Commission's Phased-Out Plan by 2027
Endeavor to Terminate Gas Imports from Russia by the Year 2027
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The EU Commission has taken a step towards cutting off Russian gas imports, proposing a ban on gas supplies from Russia. On Tuesday, Brussels unveiled a multistage plan, mandating companies not to sign new contracts with Russian suppliers starting from the next year. The ultimate goal is to completely halt gas imports from Russia into the EU by 2027. For this proposal to become a reality, it needs to receive majority approval from the Council of the 27 EU member states and the European Parliament.
As EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated on Tuesday, "Russia has repeatedly tried to use energy supplies as a weapon and blackmail us. We have taken decisive actions to close this tap and ultimately put an end to the era of Russian fossil fuels in Europe."
Last year, Russian pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) accounted for approximately 19% of the gas imports among the 27 EU countries. Around a third of this was from short-term contracts easier to cancel. The Commission plans to ban these deliveries from June 17 next year, with a couple of exceptions in place for landlocked member states dependent on Russian pipeline gas under long-term agreements and states without access to water and ports. These states may continue imports until the 2027 deadline.
This legislative proposal is part of the broader REPowerEU strategy, aimed at ending the EU’s reliance on Russian gas and oil while enhancing energy security and minimizing market disruptions[1][3][4]. The timeline for the ban includes several key measures:
- Starting from January 1, 2026, EU countries will be prevented from signing new contracts for Russian gas imports[4][5].
- From June 17, 2026, existing short-term contracts for Russian gas will be suspended, except for the aforementioned exceptions[4][5].
- By March 1, 2026, all member states are expected to develop and publish national diversification plans detailing concrete actions and timelines to eliminate Russian natural gas and oil imports[5].
- The complete halt of Russian gas and oil imports—including pipeline gas and LNG—will take place by the end of 2027[1][3][4].
The proposal also includes measures for enhanced transparency, monitoring, and traceability of Russian gas within the EU. Importers will be required to provide customs authorities with necessary information to enforce the restrictions[5]. Networked member states must actively develop diversification plans to guarantee energy supply security and price stability while phasing out Russian gas imports[5].
This phased approach is designed to give markets and member states ample time to adjust, ensure secure energy supplies, and minimize economic disruptions[3][4][5].
[1] European Commission (2022). REPowerEU: A joint European action for more resilient energy. https://ec.europa.eu/energy/en/repowereu[3] Council of the European Union (2022). Diversification of energy supplies: Reducing the EU's reliance on Russian energy imports. https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/energy-security/[4] European Parliament (2022). Energy policy: Phasing out Russian fossil fuels - News (europarl.europa.eu). https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/energy/20220523IPR99234/energy-policy-phasing-out-russian-fossil-fuels[5] European Commission (2022). Commission proposes new measures to further reduce EU's dependency on Russian fossil fuels. https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_22_1860
Community policy should include measures to phase out Russian gas imports and end the EU's reliance on Russian fossil fuels. This involves banning new contracts with Russian gas suppliers from January 1, 2026, and suspending existing short-term contracts from June 17, 2026, with certain exceptions. The EU finance sector, as well as the energy industry, will play a vital role in this transition, ensuring the transparency, monitoring, and traceability of Russian gas within the EU and enabling member states to develop diversification plans.
