2026-02-02 18:04
publication
2026-02-02 18:04
On Tuesday, a regulation banning gas imports from Russia will come into force in the EU. The ban will be introduced gradually until imports cease completely in 2027. The European Commission has also committed that the EU will become fully independent from Russian oil no later than 2027.
On Monday, the regulation was published in the Official Journal of the EU. This means that its provisions will enter into force a day later.
The aim of the regulation is to make the EU completely independent from imports of Russian gas.
According to the regulation, imports of Russian pipeline gas and LNG to the EU will be prohibited. The ban will come into force six weeks after the entry into force of the regulation, but contracts already concluded will be subject to a transitional period. This gradual phase-out is intended to limit the impact of the regulation on prices and markets.
Six weeks after the entry into force of the regulation – on April 25, 2026 – a ban on concluding short-term contracts for Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) will be introduced. From June 17, 2026, short-term contracts for pipeline gas will be prohibited.
The total ban on the import of Russian LNG will enter into force on January 1, 2027. From September 30, 2027, the import of pipeline gas under long-term contracts will be prohibited. However, Member States will be able to extend this deadline until October 31, 2027 if their gas storage facilities are filled below the required level.
The regulation is contested by Hungary and Slovakia. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto announced on Monday that – in line with his announcement – the government in Budapest had submitted a complaint about the inconsistency of the regulation with EU treaties to the Court of Justice of the EU. One of Hungary's arguments is that the ban violates the right of member states to choose energy sources and suppliers, as enshrined in the treaties.
European Commission energy spokeswoman Anna Kaisa Itkonen told reporters on Monday that each member state has the right to challenge EU law to the Court of Justice of the EU.
In turn, Energy Commissioner Dan Joergensen expressed his belief that the ban is fully consistent with EU law. He also emphasized that countries have the right to challenge EU regulations in court, but this does not change the fact that they must comply with them.
On Monday, the European Commission also issued a statement in which it announced that in early 2026 it would present a proposal to ban the import of Russian oil “as soon as possible, but no later than 2027.”
After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, imports of Russian gas and oil to the EU began to decline. The share of oil from this country dropped to below 3%. total supplies in 2025. Russian gas accounted for approximately 13% last year. total import of this raw material to the EU.
From Brussels Magdalena Cedro (PAP)
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