EU Roadmap: 'From the end of 2025 no more Russian gas on spot markets'

A ban on Russian gas imports on the spot market and in long-term contracts, national plans to coordinate action by the Twenty-Seven and stricter rules for companies: this is what the EU Commission's 'Roadmap to end Russian energy imports' envisages. It promises legislative proposals next month to cut off even the last energy supplies by the end of 2027, announces a ban from the end of 2025 on Russian gas imports in all new and existing spot contracts and from the end of 2027 on long-term contracts. In 2024, the EU imported 52 cubic metres of Russian gas: 32 with pipelines and 20 with LNG.

In the communication presented by Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen, the European Commission proposes a phased and coordinated approach to the elimination of Russian gas, also announcing a legislative proposal in June to oblige member states to submit "by the end of the year" national plans to "plan and monitor the elimination" of imports from the Kremlin. The plans will have to contain the volume of Russian gas imports under existing contracts, a timetable with milestones to 2027, and diversification options and technical capacities to replace Russian gas.

Also expected next month is a legislative proposal to strengthen transparency, monitoring and traceability of Russian gas imports from the Twenty-Seven. Although the EU drastically reduced energy imports from Moscow, in 2024, the share of Russian LNG still increased by 5.5% and Moscow was the second largest supplier of liquefied gas (17.5%) to the EU (after the US at 45.3%).

Brussels recalls, however, that it has supported diversification efforts 'with EUR 184.7 billion' through national recovery and resilience plans, EUR 5.84 billion through the Connecting Europe Facility to finance cross-border infrastructure, and EUR 55 billion from EU Cohesion. However, Russian gas imports into the EU decreased from 45% in 2021 to 19% in 2024, and are expected to decrease to 13% in 2025.