EU finalizes timeline to completely ban Russian gas imports

The European Union has approved a plan to end natural gas imports from Russia.

A statement from the EU Council announced that the Union has imposed a “legally binding phased ban” on natural gas purchases from Russia.

How will the phased ban timeline work?

According to the new regulation, imports of Russian-origin liquefied natural gas (LNG) will completely stop from the end of 2026. Imports of pipeline gas will end from the autumn of 2027.

The regulation will take effect six weeks after it comes into force, and a transition period will be granted for existing contracts.

Within this framework, for short-term contracts signed by June 17, 2025, LNG imports will be banned from April 25, 2026, and pipeline gas imports from June 17, 2026.

Long-term LNG contracts will end from January 1, 2027, under the EU’s 19th sanctions package. The ban on long-term pipeline gas contracts will come into effect on September 30, 2027, or at the latest on November 1, 2027, depending on the fullness of storage facilities in Europe.

Russian energy company Gazprom continues to supply gas to the EU through TurkStream, only one of the five pipelines it used before the war.

Member states will submit their own plans

The text, which still requires formal approval from the EU Council and the European Parliament, obligates all member states to submit their own plans detailing the measures they will implement and the challenges they may face during the process of phasing out Russian gas.

The agreement also strengthens the European Commission’s oversight authority. Member states will be required to report their existing Russian gas contracts to the Commission within one month of the regulation coming into force.

Goal: To eliminate energy dependence

EU officials emphasized, “This regulation is a central element of the REPowerEU roadmap, which aims to eliminate energy dependence after Russia weaponized its gas supply.”

The same statement noted that the measures taken will create a “sustainable and independent EU energy market while preserving secure supply conditions.”

The European Commission, in a plan presented in June, had proposed a complete phase-out of Russian gas by the end of 2027. Currently, about 15% of the EU’s LNG imports, and 18% to 19% of its total gas imports including pipeline gas, are supplied by Russia.