The European Commission on Tuesday proposed a legally binding ban on EU imports of Russian gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) by the end of 2027, using legal measures to ensure the plan cannot be blocked by EU members Hungary and Slovakia, Reuters reports.
The proposals set out how the European Union plans to fix into law its vow to end decades-old energy relations with Europe’s former top gas supplier, made after Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
First, imports would be banned from January 1, 2026, under any Russian pipeline gas and LNG contracts signed during the remainder of this year.
Imports under short-term Russian gas deals – defined as those lasting less than one year – signed before June 17, 2025, would be banned from June 17 next year.
Finally, imports under existing long-term Russian contracts would be banned from January 1, 2028, effectively ending the EU’s use of Russian gas by this date, the Commission said.
EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen added that the measures were designed to be legally strong enough for companies to invoke the contractual clause of “force majeure” – an unforeseeable event – to break their Russian gas contracts.
