EU member state representatives back ban on Russian gas imports, EP vote on Wednesday

Brussels, 10 December (CTK correspondent) - Diplomats from EU member states today approved the EU plan to gradually end imports of gas from Russia by autumn 2027. Reuters reported this, citing the Danish presidency of the Council of the EU. This is another legal step before the ban enters into force.

The European Parliament and the Council of the EU, which represents the member states, reached an agreement to end gas imports last week. The agreement must now be translated into all EU languages and reviewed by lawyers, after which it still needs to be formally approved by the European Parliament and EU member states. The European Parliament is expected to do so at its plenary session in Strasbourg next week. The vote was originally scheduled for Tuesday, but following today's meeting of the EP leadership, it was postponed until Wednesday.

The text was formally approved today at a meeting of the so-called Coreper, a gathering of EU country ambassadors in Brussels. Ministers from the bloc's countries are expected to give final approval to the ban early next year, Reuters reported.

The European Union wants to gradually end imports of Russian oil and gas in an effort to deprive the Kremlin of revenue it uses to finance the war in Ukraine. It also wants EU member states to become independent of energy imports from Russia and therefore less vulnerable to blackmail. The new rules add restrictions on gas imports to the existing sanctions.

The regulation introduces a gradual, legally binding ban on imports of both liquefied natural gas (LNG) and Russian pipeline gas. A full ban on LNG imports will take effect on 1 January 2027, and a ban on pipeline gas imports no later than 1 November 2027.

Hungary and Slovakia, which still import Russian gas and oil, opposed the new regulation. But at a meeting of EU energy ministers in late October, their representatives were outvoted by the other countries. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó claimed a few days ago that Budapest and Bratislava would take the ban on Russian gas imports to court.