The EU will ban Russian pipeline gas and LNG by 2027, granting emergency exceptions to Hungary and Slovakia.
Short-term contracts signed before June 2025 will face bans starting April and June 2026.
Long-term LNG contracts may run until January 2027, and long-term pipeline deals face prohibition from September 2027, possibly moving to November.
Member states accelerated plans to diversify energy sources after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
EU dependence on Moscow fell from 45% pre-invasion to 13% by mid-2025, though imports still totalled €10 billion.
Landlocked States Challenge the Law
Most EU countries supported the ban, saying it weakens Moscow’s war financing.
Landlocked nations worried about supply security and higher energy prices, citing unfair competition.
Parliament initially opposed exemptions but accepted them to reach an agreement.
Hungary and Slovakia plan to challenge the law, calling it a Brussels “diktat” and fraud.
Prime ministers Orbán and Fico maintain closer relations with Russia than most EU leaders.
A suspension clause allows the European Commission to authorize emergency gas imports if storage falls below 90% by November 1.
Leaders Declare Energy Independence
Member states must create national plans to end Russian gas and oil imports by March 2026.
The EU banned TurkStream imports unless companies prove the gas only transited Russia or Belarus.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the agreement the start of full EU energy independence.
Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen said Europe will never return to dependence, volatile supplies, or Russian energy blackmail.
Parliament’s Thomas Pellerin-Carlin said the law prevents Russia from manipulating markets and protects European jobs.
Energy ministers will vote on December 15, with a Parliament plenary vote expected the same week.
