EU puts its foot down on Russian oil & gas imports with gradual phase-out

October 20, 2025, by Melisa Cavcic

Ever since the Russia-Ukraine conflict reignited, the European Union (EU) has been working to wean itself off Russian oil and gas imports. The latest step taken to end the EU’s dependence on Russian fossil fuels is contained within its plans to gradually ban imports of oil, gas, and liquefied natural gas (LNG) from next year, with limited exceptions for existing short-term and long-term contracts. This legislation is described as a response to Russia’s systematic weaponisation of energy supplies.

A draft legislation was adopted on October 16, 2025, by the Committees on Industry, Research and Energy and on International Trade to ban imports of Russian pipeline gas and LNG from January 1, 2026, with exceptions for existing short-term contracts until June 17, 2026, and long-term deals until January 1, 2027, provided they were concluded before June 17, 2025, and remain unamended.

Thanks to this, energy operators will be able to invoke ‘force majeure’ to terminate Russian gas import contracts, since the legally binding prohibition on further imports, as provided by this new regulation, is explicitly defined as a sovereign act beyond their control. The Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) proposed to prohibit the temporary storage of Russian-origin natural gas in EU facilities as of January 1, 2026.

Ville Niinistö (Greens/EFA, Finland), Lead MEP for the Industry, Research and Energy Committee (ITRE), remarked:“The vast majority of the members of the two committees have voted for a strong position to strengthen the exit from Russian fossil fuel imports.

“I am impressed by the shared understanding of the need for effective legislation that is not just banning imports of Russian gas and oil to the European Union but is also stringent in enforcement and closes the loopholes of the Commission’s proposal.”

According to the European Parliament, operators would have to provide customs authorities with stricter and more detailed evidence of the gas’ country of production before import or storage, with prior authorization required depending on the origin of the natural gas to close loopholes and mitigate risk of circumvention.

The MEPs also want to prohibit from 2026 all imports of Russian oil, including petroleum products originating from Russian crude oil, while requiring prior customs authorization and verification of the country of production for such imports.

Circumvention risks, such as re-labelled imports, shadow fleets, and transit via third countries, is being targeted by mandating origin certification for oil pipelines, quarterly audits, and a list of high-risk LNG terminals, to be managed by the European Commission.

In addition, the MEPs’ delete the review clause is perceived to allow the Commission to authorize a temporary suspension of the import ban in situations threatening the EU’s energy security. The enforcement is being strengthened with the introduction of penalties for violations of the regulation.

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Inese Vaidere (EPP, Latvia), Lead MEP for the International Trade Committee, emphasized: “The almost unanimous support gives me a strong mandate for negotiations with the Council. The ban of Russian fossil fuels is a great achievement for the European Union and a turning point in European energy policy.

“We have strengthened the European Commission’s initial proposal by including oil and its products, ending long-term contracts a year earlier than proposed, adding penalties for non-compliance, and deleting exceptions for landlocked countries.”

After the legislation was adopted by 83 votes to 9, with 1 abstention, MEPs also voted by 84 votes to 7, with 1 abstention, to open negotiations with the Danish Presidency of the Council. Denmark’s Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities confirmed on October 20, 2025, that the proposal, negotiated in the EU Council of Ministers during the Danish Presidency, met with broad support from the energy ministers.

“Today is the end date for Russian gas to the EU. Next year, the short-term gas contracts will be over, and in two years, the final end will be set for Russian gas to all of Europe. This is the message from the EU’s energy ministers, who have today agreed to draw a line in the sand and set an end date. Now the Danish presidency must negotiate a final agreement with the Parliament,” explained the Danish government.

After the Ukraine crisis broke out in early 2022, Europe’s consumption of Russian oil and gas has gone down, but it has not reached zero yet, as the EU still imports gas from Russia, which is expected to account for around 13% of the EU’s total gas imports in 2025.

With this in mind, the European Commission presented a proposal to increase the pace of the phase-out earlier this year with a total stop to imports of Russian gas and oil to Europe by the end of 2027 at the latest.

Lars Aagaard, Denmark’s Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities, underlined: “An energy-independent Europe is a stronger and more secure Europe. Although we have worked hard and pushed to get Russian gas and oil out of Europe in recent years, we are not there yet.

“Therefore, it is crucial that the Danish Presidency has secured overwhelmingly broad support from Europe’s energy ministers for the legislation that will definitively ban Russian gas to the EU.”

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As a result, Denmark will negotiate with Parliament on behalf of the Council of Ministers to end up with a comprehensive agreement for the whole of Europe. Although the end date is January 1, 2028, the Danish government has confirmed that a gradual phase-out is planned to begin as early as next year.

Denmark’s Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities underscored:“For new Russian gas contracts, the deadline is 1 January 2026, and for the short contracts, the end date is 17 June 2026. For the long-term contracts, it is called the end of 2027.

“Importers of gas into the EU will in future be obliged to share detailed contract information with the Commission and national authorities on the origin and export route of the gas. This will in future make it possible to determine the actual origin and place of export of gas imported into the EU.”