The European Council officially approved new regulations on Monday to gradually eliminate all imports of Russian pipeline gas and LNG, representing a significant move to reduce the EU’s reliance on Russian energy as part of the REPowerEU plan.
The regulation sets out a phased ban, with Russian gas imports banned six weeks after the rules take effect, while temporary transition allowances remain for existing contracts. A complete ban on LNG will begin in early 2027, and pipeline gas imports will be fully halted by autumn of the same year.
Under the new rules, EU member states are required to confirm the source of gas before approving imports and implement rigorous monitoring. Non-compliance could result in penalties starting at $2.9 million for individuals and reaching up to $47 million for companies, or as much as 3.5% of a firm’s worldwide annual revenue.
By 1 March, EU member states must provide national plans outlining how they will diversify gas supplies and phase out remaining Russian volumes. Companies are required to report any current Russian gas contracts to both national authorities and the European Commission.
In addition, nations that continue to import Russian oil will need to submit comparable diversification plans, as mandated by the European Council.
However, in cases of emergency where the supply of one or more EU countries is severely at risk, the Commission may temporarily lift the import ban for up to four weeks.
The regulation will take effect one day after its publication in the EU’s Official Journal and will be directly applicable across all member states.
Additionally, the Commission has declared intentions to introduce legislation aimed at fully phasing out Russian oil imports by the end of 2027.
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