The European Commission (EU) has released a “roadmap” detailing its intentions to bring an end to Europe’s dependence on Russian energy over the next few years.
Complete Ban on Russian Gas by 2027
Imports of all Russian gas and liquefied natural gas to member states of the European Union will be prohibited by the end of 2027, according to the plans.
“No longer will we allow Russia to weaponize energy against us. No longer will we tacitly assist in filling the [Kremlin’s] war chests,” European Commissioner for Energy Dan Jorgensen told a news conference in Strasbourg on Tuesday.
Kremlin Reacts to EU Energy Shift
Reacting to the plans, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a Reuters news agency interview on Tuesday that Europe was “shooting itself in the foot.”.
The EU committed to bringing an end to its energy dealings with Russia after Moscow’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Legislative Measures Expected by June
The European Commission will unveil a package of legislative proposals in June, requiring all EU member states to draw up “national plans” to ban Russian gas, nuclear fuel, and oil imports.
EU countries must submit their plans under the Russian oil import replacement program by the end of 2027.
The Commission has also asked nations to submit plans for reducing their dependence on Russia for uranium, enriched uranium, and other nuclear fuel.
The EU aims to switch away from Russian gas by “improving energy efficiency, stepping up the deployment of renewable energy and diversifying supplies”, the European Commission stated.
Declining EU Dependency on Russian Energy
Although EU reliance on Russian oil, gas and nuclear fuels has dropped tremendously since Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the bloc continues to import a substantial amount of energy from Russia.
EU: Russian gas imports fall from 45% in 2021 to 19% in 2024. The proportion of Russian oil imports has also reduced from 27% at the start of 2022 to 3% at present.
Ongoing Concerns Over Russian Nuclear Fuel
Action is needed to stem the bloc’s dependence on Russian nuclear fuel, products and services, the document stated, as over 14% of the EU’s uranium came from Russia in 2024.
The EU’s dependency on Russian nuclear fuel, gas and oil carries “risks to our economic security” and financially underpins Russia’s war economy, the document stated.
Phasing Out to Be Gradual
“We’ve come far, but not far enough,” Jorgensen added in Tuesday’s news conference, adding that measures to phase out Russian energy would be “stepwise and gradual” to minimise the impact on the EU.
The roadmap also includes plans to target Russia’s use of “shadow fleets” oil tankers “with obscure ownership and insurance” that Russia uses to maintain its oil exports and bypass sanctions.
