EU Clinches Permanent Deal to Phase Out Russian Gas Imports by 2027
Brussels, Belgium – December 4, 2025
The European Union has achieved a historic and defining moment in its geopolitical and energy policy, securing a provisional political agreement to implement a definitive and permanent ban on all Russian gas imports by the end of 2027.
This landmark decision, clinched after intense negotiations between the European Parliament and the Council, marks the conclusion of a 57-year energy relationship that, at its peak, saw Moscow supplying approximately 40% of the bloc’s gas needs.
The move fundamentally restructures Europe’s energy security, ensuring that Russia can never again use fossil fuel exports as a weapon against the continent.
The agreement moves beyond the temporary and often politically fraught framework of sanctions, establishing permanent legal certainty for the phase-out.
Sanctions, which require unanimous renewal every six months, can be vulnerable to vetoes; by contrast, this new regulatory framework is intended to apply indefinitely, anchoring the EU’s energy independence strategy for the long term.
This strategic shift is designed explicitly to deplete the Kremlin’s war chest and reaffirm the bloc’s solidarity with Ukraine.
The new deal establishes a meticulous, staggered timetable for the phase-out, differentiating between the two primary methods of Russian gas delivery:
Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and pipeline gas, as well as distinguishing between short-term and long-term contracts.
For Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) imports, the final deadline for all long-term contracts (those concluded before June 17, 2025) is set for January 1, 2027, aligning with the EU’s 19th sanctions package. Short-term LNG supply contracts already in force face an even earlier cut-off date of April 25, 2026.
This rapid transition reflects the EU’s accelerated development of new LNG import infrastructure across member states.
The phase-out for pipeline gas imports is equally decisive but slightly more complex due to the critical role these contracts play in the energy security of certain landlocked member states.
The general prohibition for pipeline gas under long-term contracts begins on September 30, 2027.
A temporary extension is permitted until November 1, 2027, only in the exceptional circumstance that a member state’s gas storage levels fall below the required mandated filling levels, providing a vital safety clause against immediate supply shortages.
Short-term pipeline gas contracts, meanwhile, must terminate by June 17, 2026.
This carefully managed transition aims to mitigate impact on prices and markets, relying on two key pillars:
the robust alternative supplier base on the global gas market and the well-interconnected nature of the EU gas network.
Officials are convinced that sufficient alternative suppliers, including volumes from the US, Qatar, and Norway, combined with enhanced import infrastructure, will ensure price stability.
The legislation also includes strong safeguards against circumvention, enhancing transparency and traceability across the EU market.
Importers of non-Russian gas must now provide detailed information on the country of production, and any Russian gas imported during the remaining transition period will require prior authorisation.
Amendments to existing contracts are strictly limited to operational purposes and cannot result in increased volumes or prices.
Penalties for entities found to be breaching the ban are severe, with potential fines reaching €40 million, 300% of the transaction value, or 3.5% of annual turnover, depending on the national authority’s choice.
The necessity of this dramatic decoupling is underscored by the current import statistics. Despite aggressive reduction efforts since 2022, EU countries still imported approximately 52 billion cubic metres of gas from Russia in 2024, representing about 19% of total imports.
Furthermore, imports of liquefied natural gas alone were valued at almost EUR4.5 billion in the first half of 2025. This continued flow of revenue is what the new ban seeks to stop permanently.
While the agreement comprehensively addresses gas, a related commitment was secured for oil.
The European Commission is now tasked with presenting a plan in early 2026 for the complete phase-out of Russian oil exports to the remaining exceptions, specifically Hungary and Slovakia, no later than the end of 2027.
This signifies the EU’s commitment to a complete energy exit from Moscow’s influence across the board, although addressing the reliance on Russian uranium for nuclear power plants remains a separate, complex challenge deferred for future legislative action.
This deal is not just an energy regulation; it is an economic and geopolitical statement, completing the EU’s pivot towards energy sovereignty.
Headline Points
* Permanent Gas Ban: The EU reached a provisional agreement to impose a permanent and definitive ban on all Russian gas imports by the end of 2027, replacing the temporary sanctions regime with a binding regulatory framework.
* Staggered Timeline: Long-term LNG contracts will be banned from January 1, 2027, while long-term pipeline gas contracts will cease on September 30, 2027, with a limited emergency extension possible until November 1, 2027.
* Short-Term Contract End Dates: Short-term gas contracts face earlier deadlines, with LNG cutoff by April 25, 2026, and pipeline gas cutoff by June 17, 2026, accelerating the transition.
* New Safeguards and Penalties: The agreement includes provisions for enhanced transparency, monitoring of Russian-origin gas, and severe financial penalties—up to €40 million or 3.5% of turnover—for entities breaching the new import prohibitions.
* Oil Phase-Out Commitment: The deal paves the way for a subsequent European Commission proposal in 2026 to ban Russian oil exports to remaining states (Hungary and Slovakia) by the end of 2027, completing the bloc’s fossil fuel decoupling.
