EU to end Russian gas imports by 2026

The EU has struck a deal with the European parliament to place a legal ban on all Russian gas imports, phasing out LNG by late 2026 and pipeline gas by September 2027. The new legislation is a central part of its REPowerEU initiative intended to put an end to reliance on Russian energy.

The agreement, provisionally reached in December 2025 by the Council and Parliament, introduces strict deadlines, penalties, and requires national diversification plans, accelerating previous timelines to boost energy security after Russia weaponised supplies. 

Key details of the deal include the ending of short-term Russian LNG contracts by end-April 2026, long-term contracts by 1 January 1 2027, with a full ban by end 2026.

Pipeline gas will be phased out by September 30, 2027, with a potential delay to November 2027 if storage targets aren’t met. This will involve suitable Contract Rules and limits on contract amendments to prevent volume/price increases. There will be significant penalties for non-compliance and requirements for member states to submit national plans by March 2026.

The move directly addresses Russia’s use of energy supplies to manipulate markets following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Nonethless dependence on Russian has dropped significantly, but still accounts for about 13% of EU imports in 2025, which highlighte a degree of continued vulnerability. 

The provisional deal requires formal adoption by the Council and European Parliament, expected in early 2026, followed by the regulation becoming legally binding upon entry into force in early 2026. 

Dr Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, called it ‘a historic moment’ signalling the end of an era that began more than 50 years ago when the first gas imports took place. He noted that Europe is now on much firmer footing, having drawn a line under its decades-long dependence on Russian gas by diversifying towards other gas suppliers and energy sources.

“In the energy world, overreliance can quickly turn into major geopolitical vulnerabilities,” Dr Birol said at the European Commission in Brussels. “My number one golden rule for energy security is diversification.” Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the IEA responded to the escalating energy crisis with a 10-Point Plan to reduce the European Union’s reliance on Russian gas, published one week after the invasion.

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