Europe – The European Union officially adopted on Monday a regulation aimed at phasing out imports of Russian natural gas, whether via liquefied natural gas (LNG) or pipelines connected to Moscow. According to a statement from the European Council, the ban on LNG imports from Russia will take effect by January 1, 2027. The ban on pipeline gas imports will take effect by September 30 of the same year. Cypriot Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry, Michael Damianou, said that the EU energy market will become, starting today, “stronger, more resilient and diversified.” He also stressed the importance of eliminating what he described as “harmful dependence” on Russian gas.
The ban will take effect six weeks after the regulation comes into force, according to the statement, in order to limit its impact on prices and markets. EU member states are also required to prepare national plans to diversify their supply sources and find alternatives to Russian imports by March 1, 2026. EU pipeline gas imports in 2025 reached their lowest level in five years, a 10% year-on-year decline, with the largest reliance on Norway and Algeria. According to a recent report by the Washington-based Energy Research Unit, total imports reached 142 billion cubic meters in 2025, compared to 157 billion in 2024. Furthermore, imports of Russian gas via pipeline to the EU have declined significantly since the expiration of the gas transit agreement through Ukraine at the end of 2024, resulting in a decrease in supplies of approximately 15 billion cubic meters annually.
