EU and European Parliament final agreement Russia’s gas imports will reach zero by the end of 2027

After months of intensive negotiations, the European Union and the European Parliament reached a final agreement on Tuesday to gradually and completely ban imports of natural gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia by December 31, 2027.

The decision is part of the “REPowerEU” strategy to completely cut Europe’s dependence on Russian energy after Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Based on the details of the agreement

From January 2026, a complete ban on concluding any new or short-term contracts for pipeline gas and LNG imports from Russia, with limited exceptions for countries such as Hungary and Slovakia that need more time for transition.

Starting from January 2027, a gradual ban on existing long-term contracts will begin, so that no gas imports from Russia will take place by the end of 2027.

This deadline is one year earlier than the initial proposal.

European Commission (2028).

Heavy penalty mechanisms are also foreseen for companies that violate this ban.