EU sets legal path to end Russian gas imports by 2027

On February 2, the European Union published the REPowerEU gas regulation (EU/2026/261), laying out a legal framework to phase out natural gas imports from Russia by 2027.

The regulation, adopted at the end of last year, specifies a staged ban on Russian gas: short-term liquefied natural gas (LNG) contracts will be prohibited from April 25, 2026, and short-term pipeline gas contracts from June 17, 2026, Caliber.Az reports citing the European Commission.

Long-term LNG contracts will be banned from January 1, 2027, followed by long-term pipeline gas imports from September 30, 2027. Member States may extend the final deadline until October 31, 2027, if their gas storage levels are below required thresholds.

The move comes as the EU marks nearly four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and aims to reduce Moscow’s ability to finance its war through energy exports.

The regulation was published in the Official Journal and takes effect the following day. It is accompanied by a statement on the phase-out of Russian oil imports (EU/2026/268).

The European Commission said it intends to propose legislation in early 2026 to ban oil imports from Russia as soon as possible, with a target date no later than 2027.

By Aghakazim Guliyev