site.btaEU Council Agrees to Halt Russian Gas Imports

The European Council announced Monday that it has agreed on its negotiating position on the draft regulation to phase out imports of Russian natural gas. The decision forms a key part of the European Union's REPowerEU plan to end its reliance on Russian energy, in response to Russia weaponizing gas supplies and repeatedly disrupting gas deliveries to the EU, which has had a significant impact on the European energy market.

The proposed regulation introduces a legally binding prohibition on imports of both pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia, with a full ban to apply from 1 January 2028. The Council's agreement to maintain this deadline therefore represents a strong commitment to delivering the phase-out. According to the press release, this will help to achieve the overarching goal of creating a resilient and independent EU energy market while ensuring the security of the EU's energy supply. The regulation also requires all Member States to submit national diversification plans, setting out the measures they intend to take and the potential challenges they foresee in diversifying their gas supplies. The Council has agreed to exempt those Member States that can demonstrate they are no longer receiving any direct or indirect imports of Russian gas.

Amendments to existing contracts will only be permitted for narrowly defined operational purposes, provided they do not lead to increased volumes. However, some specific flexibilities will be granted to landlocked member states affected by recent changes in supply routes.

In the Versailles Declaration of March 2022, following Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, EU leaders agreed to phase out dependency on Russian fossil fuels as soon as possible.

Gas and oil imports from Russia to the EU have decreased significantly in recent years. However, while oil imports have dropped to below 3%, Russian gas still accounted for an estimated 13% of EU imports in 2025, worth over EUR 15 billion annually. This leaves the EU exposed to significant risks in terms of its trade and energy security. To address this, in May 2025, the Commission adopted the REPowerEU roadmap, which sets out a stepwise approach to phasing out the remaining Russian energy imports, and aims to boost the EU's energy independence and security.