The European Commission is moving to ban the enforcement of existing contracts by 2027 and the signing of new ones this year.
The European Commission is set to propose legal measures to phase out imports of all Russian gas and liquefied natural gas to the European Union by the end of 2027, it said on Tuesday.
The EU said it would end its decades-old energy relations with Moscow after the Kremlin launched its full invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Next month, the commission, which acts as the EU’s executive body, will present a legal proposal to ban remaining Russian gas and liquefied natural gas imports under existing contracts by the end of 2027.
June will also see the commission propose a ban on Russian gas imports under new deals and existing spot contracts by the end of the current year.
EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen said: “Since February 2022, we’ve actually spent more money buying fossil fuels from Russia in the EU than we’ve given in aid to Ukraine.
“Obviously, that will not stand.”
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Washington is pushing for a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, which, if reached, may reopen the door for Russian energy.
However, while some industry leaders have indicated support for a return to Russian gas in the case of a peace agreement, Jorgensen argued it would still be unwise to rely on Russian imports again.
Since Tuesday’s statement, the Kremlin has said that excluding Russian energy was against the 27-nation bloc’s own interests.
“They reduce the competitive environment, preferring more expensive goods from the United States and other countries. One can only hope that the next generation of European politicians will evaluate the situation more soberly,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Around 19 percent of gas still comes to the continent from Russia, via the TurkStream pipeline and LNG shipments—down from around 45 percent before the Ukraine war escalated in 2022.
The EU has signaled its willingness to buy more American LNG to replace what it currently buys from the East, which is one of the demands U.S. President Donald Trump has made of the EU to shrink its trade surplus with the United States.
The move still requires approval from the European Parliament and a reinforced majority of EU countries.
Speaking to the EU Parliament, Jorgensen told MEPs: “We ask Member states to make mandatory national plans for phasing out Russian gas, nuclear fuel and oil. These plans need to be ready by the end of this year.
“We ban all imports of Russian gas under new contracts and existing spot contracts taking effect as of the end of this year.
“We ban remaining imports of Russian pipeline gas and LNG under existing long-term contracts by the end 2027.”
The EU has imposed sanctions on Russian coal and most oil imports, but not on gas due to opposition from Slovakia and Hungary, which receive Russian pipeline supplies and say switching to alternatives would further jack up energy prices.
Sanctions need unanimous approval from all 27 EU countries to be enforced.
The commission did not specify what legal options it will use to ban Russian gas.
Some lawyers say, however, it would be difficult for gas buyers to pull out without facing penalties or arbitration.
European buyers have “take-or-pay” contracts with Gazprom, which require those that refuse deliveries to pay for much of the contracted gas.
A spokesperson for German company Uniper, which was once Europe’s largest Russian gas importer and nearly collapsed after Moscow slashed supplies in 2022, said it no longer had Russian contracts and would look into the new proposals from Brussels.
Owing to new LNG supply projects due online from 2026 in countries including the United States and Qatar, the commission said that phasing out Russian gas would have a limited impact on European energy prices.
The EU is also hoping renewable energy will allow it to cut its fossil fuel dependence.
The commission will also propose trade measures on imports of Russian enriched uranium.
The plan has already met resistance, however, with Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico labeling the move “absolutely unacceptable” and saying his government was ready to veto it.
He said the move would harm Slovakia and the entire bloc because it would cause the price of gas to rise.
Slovakia has a gas delivery deal with Russia that expires in 2034, and Fico said that he would seek compensation for damages if the plan proceeds.
Fico, who has been in power since 2023, is set to travel to Russia on Friday for the Victory Day 80th anniversary celebrations in Moscow.
Reuters contributed to this report
