EU could accelerate Russian gas phase-out, Reuters reports
Photo: EU may abandon Russian gas a year earlier than planned (Getty Images)
The European Parliament is considering proposals to accelerate the EU’s phase-out of Russian gas by one year, to January 2027, Reuters reports.
According to the report, EU countries are preparing for negotiations on a plan to ban imports of Russian gas, based on a legal proposal by the European Commission, which currently aims to end Russian gas imports by January 1, 2028.
However, some European Parliament lawmakers have proposed moving the deadline forward to January 1, 2027. Documents detailing their amendments to the Commission’s proposal show that the initiative comes from MEPs Inese Vaidere (European People’s Party) and Ville Niinistö (Green League).
According to Reuters sources, it is unlikely that EU governments will agree to bring the ban forward by a year, but lawmakers may use this demand as leverage to secure other changes during the negotiations.
In particular, they propose requiring governments to impose sanctions on companies that violate the ban, including revoking their licenses to trade energy products.
EU's move to abandon Russian gas
The European Commission has presented a plan to ban imports of Russian gas by the end of 2027. Notably, individual member states cannot veto this initiative.
However, several countries have already voiced opposition to the Commission’s proposal, including Hungary and Slovakia.
Against the backdrop of rising tensions in the Middle East, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has called on the EU to drop its ban on Russian oil and gas.
