EU agrees on phasing out Russian gas imports by autumn 2027

EU member states and the European Parliament reached a deal on Wednesday to ban all imports of Russian gas by autumn 2027, reported Xinhua.

According to a European Council statement, the agreement outlines a phased ban on imports of Russian liquefied natural gas and pipeline gas.

LNG imports will face a full ban starting at the end of 2026, while the ban on pipeline gas imports will take effect in the fall of 2027.

The statement said the move aims "to end dependency on Russian energy following Russia's weaponization of gas supplies with significant effects on the European energy market."

As of October, Russia accounted for 12 percent of EU gas imports, down from 45 percent in 2022, according to media reports.