The European Union is completely abandoning Russian gas.
The 27 member states of the European Union have officially adopted regulations on the phasing out of Russian imports of pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the EU.
“We are breaking away from detrimental reliance on Russian gas and taking a major step, in a spirit of solidarity and cooperation, towards an autonomous Energy Union,” said Michael Damianos, Minister for Energy, Commerce and Industry of Cyprus.
According to the regulations, the import of Russian pipeline gas and LNG into the EU will be prohibited.
The ban will take effect six weeks after the regulations come into force. A transition period will be provided for existing contracts. A complete ban on LNG imports will come into force from the beginning of 2027, and on pipeline gas imports from the fall of 2027.
Before allowing gas to be imported into the European Union, EU countries check the country in which the gas was produced. Failure to comply with the new rules may result in maximum fines of at least 2.5 million euros for individuals and at least 40 million euros for companies.
By March 1, 2026, EU countries should prepare national plans for gas supply diversification and identify potential problems related to the replacement of Russian gas.
After the outbreak of Russia’s war against Ukraine and the use of energy resources as a weapon, EU leaders agreed in the Versailles Declaration of March 2022 to gradually abandon dependence on Russian fossil fuels as soon as possible.
According to Eurostat, in November 2025, Russia ranked third in terms of the cost of gas imports to the European Union. The EU has purchased €752.5 million worth of gas from Russia. The United States took the first place in gas supplies to the EU, and Algeria took the second place.
