EU member states have made a landmark decision to ban Russian natural gas imports into the European bloc. Specifically, yesterday the Council of the European Union officially approved the regulation for the gradual phase-out of Russian pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports to the EU. The new rules also include measures for effective monitoring and diversification of energy supply.
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Gradual ban on Russian natural gas imports to the EU
The regulation represents a key milestone in achieving the REPowerEU goal of ending the EU’s dependence on Russian energy. According to the regulation, imports of Russian pipeline gas and LNG to the EU will be banned. The ban will begin to apply six weeks after the regulation enters into force. Existing contracts will have a transitional period. This gradual approach will limit the impact on prices and markets. The full ban will take effect for LNG imports from early 2027 and for pipeline gas imports from autumn 2027. Before approving the entry of gas imports into the Union, EU countries will verify the country of origin of the gas.
Non-compliance with the new rules can result in maximum penalties of at least €2.5 million for individuals and at least €40 million for companies, at least 3.5% of the company’s total global annual turnover, or 300% of estimated revenue from the transaction.
By March 1, 2026, EU countries must prepare national plans for gas supply diversification and identify potential challenges regarding the replacement of Russian gas. For this purpose, companies will be required to notify authorities and the Commission of any remaining Russian gas contracts. EU countries that continue to import Russian oil will also need to submit diversification plans.
Supply security in emergency situations
In case of emergency declaration and if supply security is seriously threatened in one or more EU countries, the Commission may suspend the import ban for up to four weeks.
Next steps
The regulation will now be published in the Official Journal of the EU. It will enter into force one day after its publication and will be implemented immediately in all EU countries.
The Commission also plans to propose legislation for the gradual phase-out of Russian oil imports by the end of 2027.
It should be recalled that after Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine and the use of energy as a weapon, EU leaders agreed, in the Versailles Declaration in March 2022, to phase out dependence on Russian fossil fuels as soon as possible.
Consequently, gas and oil imports from Russia to the EU have decreased significantly in recent years. However, while oil imports fell to less than 3% in 2025 as a result of the current sanctions regime, Russian gas still represents about 13% of EU imports in 2025, worth over €15 billion annually. This means that the EU remains exposed to significant risks in terms of trade and energy security.
