EU ambassadors (COREPER I) on confirmed on 10 December an agreement on a phased plan to halt all Russian gas imports by the end of 2027, a representative of Denmark's Council of the EU presidency.
"COREPER I confirmed the agreement on the final compromise text and will now, as usual, inform the European Parliament," the source said, according to European Pravda.
The European Parliament will vote on the decision next, likely in early 2026, followed by final approval from the EU Council.
The ambassadors reached their decision after the Council presidency and European Parliament negotiators achieved preliminary agreement on December 3.
According to the agreed proposal, obtained by Evropeyska Pravda, the EU will stop importing Russian LNG by April 25, 2026, for short-term contracts and by January 1, 2027, for long-term contracts.
For pipeline gas, the ban takes effect June 17, 2026, for short-term contracts. The deadline for long-term contracts is set for September 30, 2027, if member states meet their storage filling targets.
If those targets aren't met, the ban will come into force one month later, on November 1, 2027.
The agreed decision also emphasizes the need for stricter control over imports in cases where the risk of circumventing the rules is high.
Last week, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaya Kallas said the agreement "will put an end to Moscow's energy blackmail and help deprive it of revenues that fuel its war."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed that EU plans to completely abandon Russian fossil fuels will inevitably lead to negative consequences for the European economy.
The EU has assured it will not return to Russian energy sources even after the war ends.
