Overview
- EU governments formally adopted the regulation by reinforced majority, with the ban starting to apply six weeks after its publication in the Official Journal.
- Russian LNG is fully barred in early 2027 and pipeline gas on September 30, 2027, with a possible postponement to November 1, 2027 for states struggling to meet storage targets.
- Existing short-term contracts face earlier cutoffs in 2026 (April 25 for LNG and June 17 for pipeline gas), and the Commission may suspend the ban for up to four weeks in a declared supply emergency.
- Member states must file national diversification plans by March 1, 2026, companies must disclose remaining Russian gas contracts, and imports must undergo country‑of‑origin verification.
- Non‑compliance triggers fines of at least €2.5 million for individuals and at least €40 million or up to 3.5% of global turnover for companies, as Hungary and Slovakia prepare court challenges and Brussels drafts follow‑on measures on oil and nuclear fuel.