The EU Commission has put forward a proposal to gradually and effectively stop the import of Russian gas and oil into the EU by the end of 2027.
This proposal follows the REPowerEU roadmap, the EU’s strategy to completely remove Russian oil, gas and nuclear energy imports from EU markets. It includes steps for phasing out pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG), as well as measures to facilitate the complete stop of Russian oil imports by the end of 2027.
The remaining Russian gas volumes will be phased out as follows:
- 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 2026
- An exception is made for short-term contracts for pipeline gas delivered to land-locked countries and linked to long-term contracts. These will be allowed until the end of 2027.
- Imports under long-term contracts will be stopped by the end of 2027
For oil, EU countries still importing Russian oil will need to prepare diversification plans to phase out all remaining oil imports, in view of a complete stop by the end of 2027.
The phase-out of Russian fossil fuels will make an important contribution to the clean energy transition and the EU’s overall competitiveness. As explained, it is possible because the EU has sufficient alternative suppliers in the global gas market, a well interconnected Union gas market and the availability of sufficient import infrastructure in the EU.
In addition, the proposal has built-in safeguards to respond to the reality of the gas markets while providing companies with a solid legal framework.
