EU proposes law to end Russian gas, oil imports by 2027
The European Commission on Tuesday proposed legislation to phase out all Russian natural gas and oil imports to the European Union (EU) by the end of 2027.
The draft regulation, part of the Commission’s REPowerEU roadmap, would ban the signing of new contracts for Russian gas as of Jan. 1, 2026, and require the termination of existing short-term contracts by June 17, 2026.
Long-term pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) contracts with Russian suppliers would be allowed to continue only until the end of 2027.
EU member states would be required to submit diversification plans with specific measures and milestones for phasing out Russian gas and oil imports, the Commission said in a press release.
Countries would also need to report on Russian gas volumes and contractual obligations—including LNG shipments—to improve transparency and ensure compliance.
The proposal also targets Russian oil, setting a 2027 deadline for ending all remaining imports. Although Russian oil has already fallen from 27 percent of EU imports in early 2022 to just 3 percent in 2024, the Commission argued that a full cutoff is necessary to eliminate residual risks.
The regulation still requires approval by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU. A qualified majority vote is needed for it to be adopted.
Source: GLOBALink Xinhua Global service
