EU countries give final approval to Russian gas ban
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Under the agreement, the EU would will halt Russian liquefied natural gas imports by the end of 2026. Pipeline gas will be halted by Sept 30, 2027.
PHOTO: REUTERS
BRUSSELS – European Union countries on Jan 26 gave their final approval to the bloc’s plan to ban Russian gas imports by late 2027
The policy makes legally-binding the EU’s vow to cut ties with its former top gas supplier, nearly four years after Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Ministers from EU countries approved the law at a meeting in Brussels on Jan 26, although Slovakia and Hungary voted against it.
Hungary said it would take the case to the European Court of Justice.
The ban was designed to be approved by a reinforced majority of countries, allowing it to overcome opposition from Hungary and Slovakia, who remain heavily reliant on Russian energy imports and want to maintain close ties with Moscow.
Under the agreement, the EU will halt Russian liquefied natural gas imports
The law allows that deadline to shift to Nov 1, 2027, at the latest, if a country is struggling to fill its gas storage caverns with non-Russian supply ahead of the winter heating season.
Russia supplied more than 40 per cent of the EU’s gas before the Ukraine war. That share dropped to around 13 per cent in 2025, according to the latest available EU data.
Law bans new gas deals
In December, the five biggest EU importers spent €1.4 billion (S$2.26 billion) on Russian energy, mostly on gas and liquefied natural gas, data from the non-profit Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air showed.
Hungary was the biggest buyer, ahead of France and Belgium.
The EU imposed sanctions on Russian seaborne oil in 2022, but never proposed sanctions on gas imports, which would require unanimous approval from all 27 EU countries.
The EU law prohibits companies from signing new Russian gas deals and will require those with existing contracts to terminate them to comply with the ban.
For existing contracts, imports under short-term deals signed before June 17, 2025, will be banned on April 25, 2026, for LNG, and June 17 for pipeline gas. Long-term contracts must be phased out by the final deadlines.
Companies could face financial penalties of up to 3.5 per cent of total global annual turnover for failure to comply.
The European Commission plans to also propose legislation in the coming months to phase out Russian pipeline oil, and wean countries off Russian nuclear fuel. REUTERS
