EU ambassadors (Coreper I) have approved a plan for the Union to completely phase out imports of Russian gas by the end of 2027.

Source: European Pravda, citing a spokesperson for Denmark's EU Council presidency

Quote: "Coreper I has confirmed the agreement on the final compromise text and will now inform the European Parliament as usual."

Details: The European Parliament is expected to vote on the decision in early 2026, after which it will be formally endorsed by the EU Council.

The ambassadors reached the agreement after the EU Council presidency and European Parliament negotiators secured a provisional deal on 3 December.

According to the proposal, the EU will end imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) by 25 April 2026 for short-term contracts and by 1 January 2027 for long-term contracts.

Imports of pipeline gas will be banned from 17 June 2026 for short-term contracts. For long-term contracts, the deadline is 30 September 2027, provided that member states meet their storage-filling targets.

If they fail to do so, the ban will take effect one month later, on 1 November 2027.

The agreement also stresses the need for stricter controls on imports in cases where the risk of circumvention is high.

Background:

• Last week, Kaja Kallas, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said the agreement would put an end to Moscow's energy blackmail and help strip it of the revenues that feed its war machine.
• Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed the EU's plan to fully abandon Russian fossil fuels would inevitably harm the European economy.
• The EU has insisted it will not return to Russian energy supplies even after the Russo-Ukrainian war is over.

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