EU countries reach agreement on ban of Russian gas by end of 2027
Kyiv • UNN
European Union energy ministers have agreed on a common position to ban all gas supplies from Russia by the end of 2027. This decision aims to completely end the bloc's dependence on Russian energy carriers.
European Union energy ministers have agreed on a common position regarding plans to ban all gas supplies from Russia by the end of 2027, as the bloc seeks to finally end its dependence on energy from Moscow, Bloomberg reports, writes UNN.
Details
A qualified majority of officials who met in Luxembourg on Monday supported the ban, which begins with a prohibition on Russian supplies under existing short-term contracts by mid-June, with the exception of landlocked countries such as Hungary and Slovakia. The ban on long-term agreements comes 18 months later.
Negotiations with the European Parliament can now begin. The goal is to reach a final agreement by the end of the year.
"Hungary and Slovakia did not support the ban," the publication writes.
"This is not just about the current conflict," EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen said at the start of Monday's meeting. "This is about the future. Never again should we make this mistake."
Ministers are also discussing the energy situation in Ukraine and the EU's electrification plans.
The EU receives about 15% of its LNG supplies from Moscow, making Russia the second largest supplier of fuel to Europe after the US, with a monthly bill for these imports ranging from 500 million euros to 700 million euros.
Spain, which had reservations about whether the rules would be strict enough to break contracts with Russia, said before the meeting that it would support the agreement.
"We understand that it is legally sound," said Joan Groizard, Spain's Secretary of State for Energy. "We have learned that external dependence on any single country is not the best idea."