Main objectives of the project
The draft regulation provides for a ban on gas imports from Russia from 1 January 2028, with any restrictions to be implemented earlier. As of 1 January 2026, gas imports will be prohibited under fresh contracts concluded after 17 June 2025, and imports under short-term contracts are to be completed by 17 June 2026.
Countries that are deprived of access to the sea, specified as Slovakia and Hungary, will receive more time and can proceed to import pipelines by the end of 2027. The fresh regulation so provides for a longer transitional period for Russian LNG imports than the proposal contained in the September 19th sanction package, which provided for a ban from 1 January 2027.
The prohibition applies to both liquefied gas (LNG) and gas pipelines.
Expert eye
The energy marketplace analyst Kamil Moskwik believes that the introduction of a ban on Russian LNG imports is not only a way to reduce Russian influence, but besides part of a broader strategy to build a more diversified and competitive gas marketplace in Europe. In the long term, these measures can contribute to price stableness and to deepen the integration of associate States' markets, in peculiar in conjunction with investments in infrastructure and gas storage.
According to Mosquik, the European Union is gradually moving distant from a model based on dependency from 1 supplier to a strategy based on flexibility, safety and diversification of energy sources.
He explains that the European gas mix is becoming increasingly crucial for LNG supplies from the United States, Qatar and Norway.
Two countries were against
Both Hungary and Slovakia voted against the regulation. The Hungarian abroad Minister Péter Szijártó stated that the introduction of a ban on Russian energy imports by the European Union would jeopardise safety of supply for his country.
This message came straight after the decision of the EU energy ministers, who had previously supported the introduction of a complete ban on gas imports from Russia, in force from 1 January 2028.
Energy supply is not a political but physical and geographical issue for Hungary. Existing infrastructure simply is not suitable for importing adequate if Russian gas and oil supplies are stopped – assessed Szijjártó.
The figures cited by the Minister show that Hungary could lose access to 8.5 billion cubic metres of gas as a consequence of the proposed regulation by the European Union, while the full yearly consumption of this natural material in the country is about 9 billion cubic metres. The Minister stressed the request to take into account Hungary's geographical position and to set aside political factors, indicating that non-reflection of these conditions could lead to a failure of state energy security.
Not only Hungary and Slovakia
Although the European Union has reduced its dependence on Russian energy natural materials by about 90 percent since 2022, in the first 8 months of this year the value of imports of oil and gas from Russia was EUR 11 billion higher than in the same period of 2024, as reported by the Energy and Clean Air investigation Centre (CREA), as quoted by Reuters.
In addition to Slovakia and Hungary, which opposed the Regulation during the Monday vote, Belgium, France, Greece, the Netherlands and Portugal are besides among these countries.
