European Union countries have agreed to ban all Russian energy imports from January 2028. During a meeting in Luxembourg yesterday, Energy ministers of EU countries voted in favour of a draft regulation, which applies to both pipeline oil and liquefied natural gas supplied by Russia to EU countries.
According to European Council, the regulation constitutes a central element of the EU’s REPowerEU roadmap to end dependency on Russian energy following repeated disruptions of gas supplies to the EU. Energy minister of Denmark Lars Aagaard, who currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency called the proposal a crucial step to make Europe energy independent.
Following Russia-Ukraine war, EU leaders had decided to phase out dependency on Russian fossil fuels as part of Versailles Declaration signed in 2022. Gas and oil imports from Russia to the EU have both decreased significantly in recent years. While imports of oil have dropped to below 3 per cent in 2025, Russian gas still accounts for an estimated 13 per cent of EU imports in 2025.
In May this year, the Commission adopted the REPowerEU roadmap to ensure a stepwise approach to the phasing out of the remaining Russian energy imports and to boost the EU’s energy independence and security.