EU proposes complete ban on Russian gas and oil imports by end of 2027
The European Union will gradually phase out all imports of Russian gas and oil by the end of 2027 under a legislative proposal put forward by the European Commission.
The plan, put forward Tuesday, aims to end the EU’s exposure to market and economic security risks from dependence on Russian fossil fuels and boost the Union’s energy independence.
‘Russia has repeatedly attempted to blackmail us by weaponising its energy supplies,’ EU President Ursula von der Leyen said. ‘We have taken clear steps to turn off the tap and end the era of Russian fossil fuels in Europe for good.’
The draft regulation provides ‘a stepwise phase-out’ of pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas originating in or exported directly or indirectly from Russia, with a complete stop on imports by the end of 2027.
Under the envisaged gradual ban, Russian gas imports under new contracts will be prohibited as of 1 January 2026. Imports under existing short-term contracts will be stopped by 17 June of next year, except those for pipeline gas delivered to landlocked countries and linked to long-term contracts, which will be allowed until the end of 2027. Those will be stopped by the end of 2027.
‘Importing gas from Russia is a security threat to Europe,’ said Dan Jørgensen, Commissioner for Energy and Housing. ‘This is why we are now proposing an EU ban on Russian gas imports. This will increase our energy independence while also reducing the revenues Putin uses to finance his war.’
At the G7 Summit in Canada that ended Tuesday, EU Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen noted that Russian oil and gas revenues have fallen by almost 80% since the beginning of the Ukraine war in February 2022.
In May 2022, the EU launched the REPowerEU Plan, which called for ending the bloc’s dependency on Russian energy by enhancing efficiency, speeding up deployment of renewable energy and diversifying supplies. Since then, according to the EU Commission, additional renewable energy deployment and energy savings have enabled a reduction of more than 60 billion cubic metres annually in gas imports between 2022 and 2024. Despite these efforts, in 2024 the EU still imported 52 bcm of Russian gas.
Under the new proposal, Slovakia and Hungary will reportedly be granted an exemption until 2027 to phase out their existing gas contracts, according to the Financial Times. Both countries have been among the most vocal critics of the Commission’s energy decoupling strategy. Slovakia has warned that Russia’s Gazprom could sue for around €20 billion if gas offtake is cancelled under its contract that expires in 2035. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has argued that the proposed regulation threatens Central Europe’s energy sovereignty and reiterated that under EU law, decisions about energy supply remain primarily the responsibility of individual Member States.
In June 2025, Slovakia and Hungary were the only two EU Member States to oppose the energy security roadmap presented by the Polish EU Council Presidency, further isolating them within the bloc. Brussels has reportedly proposed a legal basis that would allow the proposal to be passed by a qualified majority, preventing a veto by Budapest or Bratislava. The exemptions for long-term gas contracts were seen as a concession to secure the eventual support of the two opposing nations.
The proposal was unveiled as EU leaders pushed for tougher sanctions on Russia at the G7 summit, including a cut to the oil price cap from $60 to $45 per barrel. Von der Leyen said sanctions remain ‘critical’ to ending the war in Ukraine and urged G7 partners to align with the EU’s 18th sanctions package.
The Commission explained, ‘The proposed Regulation will follow the co-decision legislative process, meaning that it will be for the European Parliament and Council to adopt it. Adoption in the Council will require qualified majority.’
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_1504
