The European Commission (EC) called the complete ban on Russian gas imports and acceleration of the full phaseout of Russian oil as a ‘historic decision’ to end the bloc’s reliance on an ‘unreliable supplier’. The political agreement, reached between the European Parliament and Council on 3 December 2025, is the EU’s most far-reaching energy market intervention since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. At that time, it cut most – but not all – Russian fuel and electricity imports.

The EC said the deal would put an end to practices that have ‘repeatedly destabilised European energy markets, put at risk security of supply with energy blackmail and harmed the European economy’. Ending Russian fossil fuel imports is a central plank of the EU’s REPowerEU Roadmap, designed to ‘secure long-term energy independence, competitiveness, resilience and market stability’.

Under the new rules, the EU will prohibit all new short-term and long-term gas contracts with Russian suppliers six weeks after the regulation enters into force. A structured wind-down of existing contracts will then follow. Long-term LNG contracts will cease on 1 January 2027, aligning with the 19th sanctions package adopted earlier this year. Long-term pipeline gas contracts will be terminated on 30 September 2027. Short-term LNG contracts will end in April 2026, and short-term pipeline agreements will close two months later, in June 2026. The package ensures that, by November 2027 at the latest, no Russian gas will enter the EU energy system.

EC President Ursula von der Leyen said the move marked ‘the era of Europe’s full energy independence from Russia’, arguing that the REPowerEU strategy had successfully shielded the bloc from the ‘worst energy crisis in decades’. ‘Today, we are stopping these imports permanently,’ she said. ‘By depleting Putin’s war chest, we stand in solidarity with Ukraine and set our sights on new energy partnerships and opportunities for the sector.’

The latest move caps a dramatic reduction in Europe’s exposure to Russian fossil fuels. Before the war, 45% of EU gas imports originated from Russia; by the first half of 2025 this had fallen to 13%. Still, some 35bn m³ of Russian gas entered the EU last year – worth an estimated €10bn at current prices, according to the EC. Imports of Russian oil have shrunk even more sharply, from 27% of EU supply at the start of 2022 to just 2% today, while Russian coal is already entirely banned under sanctions.

Von der Leyen also highlighted the fiscal impact of the measures adopted to date. At the outset of the war, EU member states were paying Russia around €12bn per month for fossil fuels; this figure has fallen to €1.5bn. ‘Still too much,’ she said. ‘We aim to bring it down to zero.’

Under the political agreement, safeguards against circumvention are included, in addition to customs controls and surveillance frameworks that are already in place. Provisions to enhance the transparency, monitoring and traceability of Russian gas within EU markets will support the effective implementation of the import ban, said the EC.

Von der Leyen also stated that the Commission remained committed to ensuring the phase out of all remaining oil imports from Russia. A legislative proposal to ban Russian oil imports will be tabled early next year, she said. ‘We have to do this as soon as possible, and no later than by the end of 2027,’ she added.

Hungary has reportedly already announced it will fight the decision.