Historic EU decision: an agreement has been reached to ban all imports of Russian gas into the EU in autumn 2027. The regulation introduces a gradual and legally binding stop on imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and pipeline gas from Russia, with a total ban from the end of 2026 and autumn 2027 respectively. The agreement will need to be ratified by the 27 and the Plenary. “Finally, and forever, we are turning off the Russian gas tap. We will never return to our dangerous dependence on Russia,” underlined Commissioner Dan Jorgensen.
The EU’s stop to Russian gas: the timing and the rules
The ban will come into effect six weeks after the regulation comes into force, with a phased approach for existing contracts. Specifically, short-term supply contracts concluded before 17 June 2025 must be terminated by 25 April 2026 for LNG and by 17 June 2026 for pipeline gas; for long-term LNG contracts the ban will apply from January 1, 2027, aligning with the regime imposed by the 19th package of sanctions against Moscow. The stop will start from 30 September 2027 for long-term contracts provided that the storage filling objectives are respected and at the latest on 1 November 2027.
Individual governments will have to present national diversification plans to outline their roadmap on stopping Russian energy. The regulation will introduce a prior authorization regime on imports of Russian and non-Russian gas to ensure that the ban is enforced.
The agreement provides for sanctions for those who do not comply with the ban and a clause suspending the regulation in the event of a “threat to the security of energy supply” of one or more member states. The regulation will be reviewed within two years of its entry into force.
The EU Commission has undertaken, through an attached declaration, to present a legislative proposal also for the gradual elimination of imports of Russian oil into the EU by the end of 2027.
It’s decided.
Europe is closing the tap on Russian fossil fuels once and for all.
Energy independence starts now ↓ https://t.co/GZGLIKWeXk
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) December 3, 2025
Ursula von der Leyen: “Historic day for the EU”
“Today is a historic day for the European Union: many thought it wouldn’t be possible but today it happened. I always knew we could do it. Now we are ready to open collaborations with new reliable partners. This is just the beginning of a true European success. Winter after winter we have helped Kiev and its energy system: we will repair the infrastructure and we will do it again”, comments the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
“This decision strikes at the heart of Russia’s war financing machine and strengthens Europe’s long-term energy security. Here’s how to safeguard Europe’s energy future and how real support for Ukraine looks like,” European Parliament President Roberta Metsola writes in X.
