EU commits to phasing out Russian gas imports by 2027's conclusion.
Breaking Away: The EU's Plan to Sever Energy Ties with Russia
The European Union (EU) has announced a bold move to free itself from Russian energy influence, aiming to completely stop the import of Russian gas, oil, and nuclear materials by the end of 2027 [1][2][5]. This pivotal shift in energy policy is a significant stride towards energy independence from Russia, following the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Key Steps and Deadlines
- Dependency Expiration: By 2027, the EU will cease all imports of Russian gas, oil, and nuclear materials, including liquefied natural gas (LNG), crude oil, and uranium [1][2][4].
- Contract Termination: By the end of 2025, new and short-term (spot) contracts for Russian gas will be prohibited, with long-term contracts following suit by 2027 [1][2][4].
- National Phase-Out Plans: Each member state must draft and submit a national plan detailing its approach to removing Russian gas, oil, and nuclear materials from its energy mix. These plans are due by the end of 2025 [1][4].
- Legislative Proposals: The European Commission will present legislative proposals in June 2025 to formalize the phase-out process [2][4].
- Illicit Transport Combat: The plan will introduce new measures to combat the "shadow fleet" transporting Russian oil, as well as continue to enforce sanctions on entities and vessels involved in illicit oil transport [1][2].
Further Measures
- Transparency and Enforcement: Buyers will be required to disclose information on contracts for Russian gas, and customs authorities will exchange information to enforce the phase-out [4].
- Demand Aggregation and Market Barrier Removal: The roadmap includes exploring demand aggregation and addressing regulatory and market barriers to aid the transition [4].
- Nuclear Energy Phase-Out: Specific actions will target the phase-out of Russian nuclear energy imports, including enriched uranium, and propose initiatives such as the European Radioisotopes Valley Initiative [2][4].
Roadmap Actions Summary
| Action Number | Description | Deadline/Details ||---------------|--------------------------------------------------------------|------------------|| 1 | Disclosure of Russian gas contracts, information exchange | Ongoing || 2 | National phase-out plans for Russian gas | End of 2025 || 3 | Ban on new and spot gas contracts | End of 2025 || 4 | Demand aggregation and market barrier removal | Ongoing || 5 | Trade measures on Russian enriched uranium | By 2027 || 6 | National phase-out plans for Russian nuclear imports | By deadlines set post-2025 || 7 | European Radioisotopes Valley Initiative | Proposal in progress || 8 | National phase-out plans (for two EU countries, specifics unclear) | By deadlines set post-2025 || 9 | Continued sanctions on entities/vessels involved in illicit oil transport | Ongoing |
Wrap-Up
The EU's plan is designed to facilitate a coordinated, gradual, and legally binding exit from Russian energy dependence. With legislative proposals slated for June 2025, the goal is to make the EU a fully independent entity with respect to Russian fossil fuels and nuclear materials by 2027 [1][2][4].
[1] Source: Roadmap to the REPowerEU plan, presented on May 6 in Strasbourg by European Commissioner Dénes Jörgensen, as reported by the correspondent of "European Truth"
[2] Details: "The European Union aims to completely stop importing Russian energy resources... Specifically, it plans to stop purchasing Russian gas by the end of 2027," Jörgensen announced.
[3] Additional insight: "In 2024, the EU still imported (from Russia) 52 billion cubic meters of Russian gas (32 billion cubic meters via pipelines and 20 billion cubic meters of liquefied natural gas (LNG), or approximately 19% of the total gas imports in the EU), as well as 13 million tons of crude oil and over 2800 tons of uranium in enriched or fuel form," the document outlining the roadmap, authored by the European Commission and addressed to the European Parliament, Council of the EU, and others, states.
[4] Additional insight: Ten member states imported Russian gas in 2024, three member states still imported Russian oil, and seven member states imported enriched uranium or uranium services from Russia, as noted in the document.
[5] Additional insight: Previously, it was reported that the European Commission is assessing whether it can legally prohibit EU companies from signing new contracts for the supply of Russian fossil fuels.
For more detailed insights on Poland's efforts to cut energy ties with Russia, visit the article "Course to Energy Independence: How Poland Rejected Russian Gas".
- The EU's roadmap, announced in May 2025, aims to make the EU entirely independent from Russian fossil fuels and nuclear materials by 2027 [1][2][4].
- The roadmap includes phasing out Russian gas, oil, and nuclear materials imports, prohibiting new and short-term contracts for Russian gas by the end of 2025, and completely ceasing all such imports by 2027 [1][2][4].
- Each EU member state is required to draft and submit a national plan detailing its approach to removing Russian energy dependencies from its energy mix by the end of 2025 [1][4].
- New measures will be introduced to combat illicit oil transport and to enforce the phase-out by requiring buyers to disclose information on contracts for Russian gas [4].
- The roadmap also includes exploring demand aggregation, addressing regulatory and market barriers, and targeting the phase-out of Russian nuclear energy imports, such as enriched uranium [2][4].
- The plan also proposes initiatives like the European Radioisotopes Valley Initiative, which aims to reduce dependence on Russian radioisotopes in the medical field [2][4].
