The European Parliament has adopted a new law aimed at reducing the European Union’s reliance on Russian energy imports. The regulation, passed on Wednesday, will ban spot-market imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) starting in early 2026. Imports of Russian pipeline gas will be phased out by September 30, 2027. The legislation also introduces penalties for operators who violate these rules, with enforcement delegated to member states.
During negotiations with the Danish presidency of the Council, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) advocated for an accelerated timeline for ending most import contracts. They also secured a commitment from the European Commission to propose legislation banning all imports of Russian oil in early 2026, aiming for an effective ban no later than late 2027.
The law includes stricter requirements for operators to provide detailed evidence about the country where their gas is produced before it can be imported or stored in the EU. This measure is intended to close loopholes and prevent circumvention of the new regulations.
Lead MEP Ville Niinistö (Greens/EFA, Finland), representing the Industry, Research and Energy Committee (ITRE), stated: “This is historic: the EU is taking a giant step towards a new era free of Russian gas and oil. Russia can never again use fossil fuel exports as a weapon against Europe. Our key priorities were to accelerate the timeline for banning pipeline gas as much as possible, prohibit long-term LNG contracts one year earlier than foreseen, and prevent circumvention of these new rules. Now, we must act without delay to implement this agreement and turn our attention to oil imports, where we will hold the European Commission to its commitment to make a proposal early in 2026.”
Inese Vaidere (EPP, Latvia), lead MEP for the International Trade Committee added: “Today’s vote sends a clear and powerful message: Europe will never again be dependent on Russian gas. This is a major achievement for the EU and a historic turning point in European energy policy. We have strengthened the European Commission’s initial proposal by introducing a pathway towards a ban on oil and its products, ending long-term contracts sooner than originally proposed, and securing penalties for non-compliance.”
The legislation was approved with 500 votes in favor, 120 against, and 32 abstentions. It now awaits formal endorsement by the Council before being published in the Official Journal.
The move comes after years of concerns over Russia’s use of energy supplies as leverage over Europe—a trend that intensified following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Actions such as Gazprom’s underfilling of EU storage facilities and sudden pipeline shutdowns led to significant increases in energy prices across Europe.
