The EU is ready to completely ban the purchase of Russian gas
16 June 2025 15:43
The European Commission is preparing a proposal for a complete ban on imports of Russian oil and gas by 2027, bypassing a possible veto by Hungary and Slovakia. This was reported by the Financial Times, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
The European Commission plans to propose a complete ban on new Russian gas contracts, using trade law to circumvent a potential veto by Hungary and Slovakia.
According to the draft proposal to be presented on Tuesday, companies will be prohibited from signing any new contracts for Russian gas with immediate effect.
Termination of contracts
Existing short-term contracts, imports of pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas from Russia are to be terminated starting in 2026. Long-term contracts will expire on January 1, 2028.
In a concession to Hungary and Slovakia, which import Russian gas, landlocked countries would be granted an exception until 2027 to phase out existing gas contracts, according to three officials familiar with the proposal.
Bypassing the sanctions regime
Since Hungary and Slovakia have said they will veto attempts to add Russian gas imports to the bloc’s sanctions, which require unanimous approval by all member states, the European Commission will use trade law. This will allow the proposals to be approved by a majority of member states.
The Commission will also refer to the articles of the EU’s founding treaty, according to which the EU’s energy policy should ensure security of supply.
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Current situation with imports
According to the Ember think tank, Russian gas accounted for 14% of the EU’s total imports of this fuel in 2024, down from about two-fifths at the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. However, this is an 18% increase compared to 2023, mainly due to increased supplies of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Italy was the largest importer of Russian gas in 2024, followed by Hungary, France, and Spain.
Positions of states
European Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen said on Monday that the Commission wants to
“to do this in a way that no member state has security of supply problems, and we want to keep prices as low as possible.”
French Industry Minister Marc Ferracci said on Monday that Paris supports the drive to diversify supplies.
Hungary remains strongly opposed. Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó told the other energy ministers on Monday that he had asked the commission to withdraw the proposal, citing the additional impact of the Israeli-Iranian conflict on energy markets.
Practical aspects
Companies will have to provide detailed information to customs authorities on gas contracts to show that imports do not come from Russia. Member states will also have to submit plans showing how they will diversify their gas supplies if they still receive Russian fuel.
The EU diplomat noted that importing countries remain concerned about legal risks and the possibility that companies will be forced to pay compensation to Russia for terminating contracts.
Europe and Russian gas
As of the beginning of 2022, the EU was 40% dependent on Russian gas. In 2021, 65% of the gas purchased by Germany was Russian. In the third quarter of 2023, only 12% of the gas imported by the EU remained Russian.
At the same time, some EU countries, such as Hungary and Slovakia, remain dependent on Russian gas. These countries’ contracts with Gazprom provide for gas supplies through the Ukrainian gas transportation system. Austria has signed a contract for gas supplies until 2040, but it has already declared that it has eliminated its dependence on Russian fuel.
After both Nord Stream and the Ukrainian gas transportation system are shut down, Russia will be able to supply gas to Europe only through the Turkish Stream.
According to the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, the European Union has purchased 210 billion euros worth of energy from Russia.
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