The European People's Party Group in the European Parliament has described an EU plan to get rid of Russia's energy "blackmail" as "Europe's boldest move yet."
EU governments and the European Parliament have agreed a timetable to end imports of Russian gas, with a ban on liquefied natural gas from 1 January 2027 and on pipeline gas from 30 September 2027, the EPP Group stressed in a statement on Tuesday.
The EPP Group — the largest political group in the European Parliament — said the deal would require EU member states to stop buying Russian LNG “directly or indirectly” from the start of 2027, followed by a deadline for pipeline gas later that year.
The agreement also includes a commitment for the European Commission to bring forward legislation at the start of 2026 that would ban Russian oil imports entirely by the end of 2027.
Measures are planned to make it harder to circumvent the restrictions, including “harmonised penalties” across the EU and tighter checks on the declared origin of imported energy.
Importers would have to provide proof of where their energy comes from under the new rules.
Checks, penalties and limited exemptions
The deal also foresees monitoring intended to stop indirect routes for Russian gas entering the EU, alongside checks on origin and ownership, according to the statement.
Any temporary suspension of the ban would be allowed only in “genuine emergencies” and subject to strict conditions.
The EPP Group said the timetable and enforcement measures were agreed in talks between the European Parliament and EU member states in December, as outlined in its January plenary briefing.
