EU countries' ambassadors have agreed on Wednesday 8 October to forward the Union's plan to end imports of Russian oil and gas by 2028 to ministers for further consideration.

Source: Reuters, citing unnamed diplomats, as reported by European Pravda

Details: This move marks the plan's first political breakthrough on the path to adoption, and national governments are expected to vote on it later this month.

The EU is negotiating legislative proposals for a gradual phaseout of Russian oil and gas imports by January 2028, aiming to deprive the Kremlin of revenue that funds its war against Ukraine.

During a closed meeting on Wednesday, EU ambassadors agreed to submit the draft law for approval by ministers at the 20 October session, three diplomats told Reuters.

They said that nearly all EU countries expressed support for the plan, suggesting a strong likelihood of adoption despite criticism from Hungary and Slovakia. Technical discussions ahead of the 20 October vote are still ongoing.

One unresolved issue is whether shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Europe should require prior authorisation and origin verification by customs upon arrival at EU ports to ensure that the gas is not of Russian origin.

Under the proposal, imports of Russian gas under new contracts would end in January 2026, under short-term existing contracts in June 2026, and under long-term ones in January 2028.

Currently, countries such as Hungary, France and Belgium still import Russian gas, which accounts for about 12% of total EU gas imports. The law would require Hungary and Slovakia to develop national plans to end these supplies by 2028.

Adopting the plan will require a qualified majority of EU member states. Once approved, the Council and the European Parliament will begin negotiations on the final text of the bill.

Background:

• The EU is also negotiating a new sanctions package against Russia that would ban imports of liquefied natural gas a year earlier, from January 2027.
• The new sanctions package also proposes blacklisting more than 100 vessels belonging to Russia's shadow fleet.

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