The EU has set out a timetable in law to phase out natural gas imports from Russia, with a ban on the remaining long-term pipeline gas contracts due to take effect by 30 September 2027.
The new rules are part of the REPowerEU gas regulation (EU/2026/261), published in the EU’s Official Journal on Monday and entering into force on Tuesday, the European Commission announced on Monday.
Under the regulation, short-term contracts for liquefied natural gas (LNG) — gas shipped by sea after being cooled into liquid form — will be banned from 25 April 2026.
Short-term pipeline gas contracts will be banned from 17 June 2026.
Long-term contracts for LNG imports will be banned from 1 January 2027.
Pipeline gas imports under long-term contracts will be banned from 30 September 2027, with a limited option for EU countries to extend the deadline to 31 October 2027 if their gas storage is below required levels.
Oil proposal due in early 2026
A separate Commission statement published alongside the gas regulation said it plans to table a legislative proposal by early 2026 to ban oil imports from Russia “as soon as possible but not later than” the end of 2027.
The Commission said it will assess the potential impact of ending oil imports earlier on security of supply, the economy and competitiveness in the most affected EU countries.
It also stated it will work with directly affected and other relevant member states to identify measures to reduce risks and facilitate access to alternative supplies.
