European Council agrees full ban on import of Russian gas
European Council agrees full ban on import of Russian gas
M.U.H
21/10/202522
TEHRAN: The European Council today agreed on its negotiating position on the draft regulation to phase out imports of Russian natural gas.
The regulation constitutes a central element of the EU's REPowerEU roadmap to end dependency on Russian energy, following Russia's weaponisation of gas supplies and repeated disruptions of gas supplies to the EU with significant effects on the European energy market, according to council's website.
The proposed regulation introduces a legally binding, stepwise prohibition on both pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports from Russia, with a full ban to apply from 1 January 2028.
The Council agreement maintains this deadline, and therefore represents an ambitious signal of willingness to deliver on the phase out. It will contribute to the overarching goal of achieving a resilient and independent EU energy market, while preserving the EU's security of supply.
The Council confirmed that imports of Russian gas will be prohibited from 1 January 2026, while maintaining a transition period for existing contracts. In particular, short-term contracts concluded before 17 June 2025 may continue until 17 June 2026, whereas long-term contracts may run until 1 January 2028.
Amendments to existing contracts will be permitted only for narrowly defined operational purposes and cannot lead to increased volumes. , except for some specific flexibilities for landlocked member states affected by recent changes in supply routes.
