Brussels, December 3, 2025 – In a landmark move to sever Europe's lingering energy ties with Russia nearly four years after Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the European Council and the European Parliament announced a provisional agreement on Wednesday to impose a legally binding ban on all Russian natural gas imports by late 2027. The deal, finalized in marathon overnight negotiations, introduces a stepwise prohibition on both liquefied natural gas (LNG) and pipeline gas, marking a decisive step toward a "resilient and independent" EU energy market free from Russian influence.
The provisional regulation introduces a legally binding, stepwise prohibition on both LNG and pipeline gas imports from Russia, with a full ban from the end of 2026 for short-term contracts and autumn 2027 for long-term pipeline agreements. Imports of Russian pipeline gas and LNG will be prohibited just six weeks after the regulation enters into force (expected in early 2026), while allowing a structured transition period for existing contracts to avoid abrupt market shocks.
For short-term supply contracts signed before June 17, 2025, the cutoff will apply from April 25, 2026, for LNG and June 17, 2026, for pipeline gas. Long-term LNG contracts will be banned from January 1, 2027, and pipeline gas under long-term agreements will cease no later than November 1, 2027, with a possible one-month extension to September 30 if member states meet gas storage targets.
This phased timeline reflects a compromise between the European Parliament’s initial demand for a faster phase-out and the Council’s concerns about energy security in eastern and landlocked member states. The co-legislators confirmed that the regulation aims to prevent Russia from continuing to use energy as a geopolitical weapon, a tactic that triggered soaring prices and supply crises across Europe in 2022 and 2023.
To ensure coordinated implementation, all 27 member states must submit national diversification plans to the European Commission within one month of the regulation’s entry into force. These plans must detail how each country will replace Russian gas with alternative supplies (primarily LNG from the United States, Norway, Qatar, and Australia) and identify expected challenges such as infrastructure gaps or cost increases. Member states are also required to immediately notify the Commission of any remaining Russian gas contracts or existing national bans.
A critical safeguard retained in the agreement is the “suspension clause,” which allows the ban to be temporarily paused if unforeseen events seriously threaten the energy supply of one or more member states. Activation requires a formal emergency declaration (for example, if gas storage falls below 90 % by November 1 in any year) and is strictly limited to short-term contracts for the shortest possible duration. The conditions under which the Commission can grant waivers have been significantly tightened to prevent abuse.
Enforcement will be backed by substantial penalties: companies breaching the ban could face fines of up to €40 million, 3.5 % of annual global turnover, or 300 % of the transaction value, whichever is highest. These measures are designed to deter circumvention, including rerouting Russian gas through third countries.
The deal also paves the way for a future proposal, expected in early 2026, to phase out the remaining Russian crude oil imports (currently below 3 % of EU supply but still vital for landlocked countries like Hungary and Slovakia) by the end of 2027.
Reactions were mixed. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the agreement as proof that “Europe will never go back to Russian fossil fuels,” while Green MEP Ville Niinistö, one of the Parliament’s lead negotiators, declared that “the only ones who lost today are Russia and Mr. Putin.” In contrast, Hungary and Slovakia immediately signaled their intention to challenge aspects of the regulation legally, arguing that the timeline imposes disproportionate costs and risks winter supply shortages without adequate alternative infrastructure.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the EU has already slashed its dependence on Russian gas from around 45 % of total imports to roughly 12–13 % by late 2025. This has been achieved through a massive increase in LNG imports (up 60 % since 2022), accelerated deployment of renewables (now generating 45 % of EU electricity), and new pipeline interconnections such as the Baltic Pipe. Nevertheless, wholesale gas prices remain approximately 50 % above pre-war levels, and the final phase-out is expected to add €10–15 billion in transition costs across the bloc.
The provisional agreement now awaits formal approval by the European Parliament and the Council, with votes expected in January 2026. Once adopted, it will mark the definitive end of a 57-year era in which Soviet and later Russian gas played a central role in Europe’s energy mix, and will reinforce the EU’s strategic objective of achieving full energy independence from Moscow while advancing its climate and green transition goals.
