EU Parliament approves phase out of Russian gas imports
The EU agreed earlier this month on legislation to cut ties with Russia, Europe’s former biggest gas supplier, having vowed to do so after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
MPs voted 500 in favour, 120 against and 32 abstentions. The ban still needs to be formally approved by EU ministers and this is expected to happen early next year. Officials expect countries to ratify the agreement without changes.
The law was designed to be approved by a strengthened majority of countries, overcoming opposition from Hungary and Slovakia, which wanted to maintain close ties with Moscow.
According to the agreement, the EU will stop importing liquefied natural gas from Russia until the end of 2026, and gas imports from the pipeline until the end of September 2027.
As of October, Russia accounted for 12% of the EU’s gas imports; this rate was 45% before it invaded Ukraine in 2022. Hungary, France and Belgium are among the countries that still receive materials.
The European Commission also announced that it will propose legislation in early 2026 to phase out oil imports from Russia.
