Overview
- EU ministers adopted the measure by qualified majority (24 of 27) on January 26, with the law to take effect six weeks after its publication in the Official Journal expected in early February.
- Short-term purchases end in 2026—LNG by April 25 and pipeline gas by June 17—long-term LNG contracts cease on January 1, 2027, and pipeline deliveries must stop between September 30 and November 1, 2027, depending on storage levels.
- A narrowly defined emergency clause allows temporary exemptions if a member state declares an energy crisis and the European Commission authorizes a limited suspension of the ban.
- Member states must submit diversification plans by March 1, 2026, verify gas origin before import, report remaining Russian contracts, and face steep penalties for violations, including minimum fines of €2.5 million for individuals and €40 million for companies or revenue-based alternatives.
- Hungary and Slovakia, both opposed in the vote, say they will challenge the regulation at the EU Court of Justice, while the Commission maintains supply security can be ensured through alternative sources; Russia accounted for about 13% of EU gas imports in 2025.