The European Parliament this week debated a proposed ban on Russian energy imports, pressing for a tougher and faster phase-out than the European Commission and EU Council have recommended.
While the Commission and Council back a ban on Russian gas imports starting in 2028, the Parliament wants the prohibition to take effect a year earlier, in 2027, and to expand it to include Russian oil and petroleum products. Lawmakers are also calling for steep fines on companies that violate the legislation. A final decision is expected in December.
Before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, nearly half of Europe’s gas imports came from Russia. Despite efforts to diversify, Russian gas still accounted for about 20% of EU supplies last year and is projected to drop to around 13% this year.
“This is a comprehensive and historic decision for the European Union,” Lithuanian Energy Minister Žygimantas Vaičiūnas said, noting that EU energy ministers agreed Monday to the 2028 start date. The plan still requires the European Parliament’s approval.
Crucially, according to Lithuanian MEP Virginijus Sinkevičius, who helped draft the Parliament’s position, the ban would be written into law rather than enacted as renewable sanctions. “There is no room for manoeuvre here, implementation would be mandatory,” he said.
Karolina Štelmokaitė, energy policy adviser to the Parliament’s Green group, said the penalties proposed by lawmakers would be “significant”, with fines starting at 5% of a company’s global turnover.
Hungary and Slovakia, both heavily reliant on Russian energy, remain the strongest opponents of the measure. “Neither Hungary nor Slovakia has direct access to a seaport, making it difficult for them to switch to alternative energy sources,” said Anna Crawford, an energy analyst at the European Policy Centre.
Crawford added that Belgium, France and Spain are also cautious, as their energy firms hold long-term contracts with Russian gas suppliers. However, under the proposed legislation, companies that terminate such contracts would be exempt from penalty clauses because the ban would constitute a legal “force majeure”.
Negotiations will determine whether the import ban applies only to gas or also to oil, and whether it will take effect in 2027 or 2028. EU institutions aim to finalise the agreement by the end of the year.
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