EU Publishes Roadmap to Phase Out Russian Energy Imports, Tackle Shadow Fleet
The European Commission this week outlined a new plan to gradually phase out imports of Russian oil, gas and nuclear energy while diversifying European energy imports by buying more from other markets. The “roadmap” details a series of proposals the commission plans to make in the coming weeks, including one that would ban all new and existing Russian gas spot contracts by the end of the year and all remaining Russian gas imports by 2027.
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Member states will be required to prepare national plans for an “EU-wide phase out” of all Russian gas, nuclear energy and oil “within specific timelines,” the commission said in FAQs. The commission said it will work with EU states to make sure the phase-out is “gradual and well-coordinated” across the bloc. It hopes to issue multiple legislative proposals for the plan next month.
Although the EU imposes sanctions and other restrictions against Russian imports, including certain energy shipments, the commission said the bloc saw a “rebound” in Russian gas imports last year. “It is now time for Europe to completely cut off its energy ties with an unreliable supplier,” said Ursula von der Leyen, commission president.
One section of the roadmap says new contracts with suppliers of Russian gas “will be prevented,” and current spot contracts will be banned by the end of 2025. “This measure will ensure that already by the end of this year, the EU will have slashed by one third remaining supplies of Russian gas,” the commission said. All remaining imports of Russian gas, including liquefied natural gas, will end by 2027, it said.
The commission said it plans to submit a legislative proposal next month to ban those Russian gas spot contracts.
The bloc also plans to propose ways to improve the transparency, monitoring and traceability of Russian gas across the EU markets. While some member states already require importers to trace imports for their potential ties to Russian gas, “there is no coherent” traceability framework across the EU, the roadmap said.
The commission said it will propose that EU companies be required to report information on their Russian gas contracts, including the volume of gas and duration of the contract, to their home country and the European Commission, including various customs and security agencies.
“These measures would give governments and the Commission access to relevant information on Russian gas entering their energy systems, allowing the implementation of EU-wide targeted and effective measures and prepare alternative supplies,” it said. The commission said it plans to present a legislative proposal by next month for better transparency, monitoring and traceability rules for Russian gas. The commission hopes to put those new measures in place in 2026.
The EU also wants to take measures to address Russia’s shadow fleet -- the ships moving Russian oil in violation of international sanctions and the global price cap on Russian oil. It said it plans to “step up its diplomatic efforts” with countries that also impose sanctions on the fleet, and it will work closer with the International Maritime Organization to “establish and uphold stringent maritime safety and security standards.”
The commission also will urge member states to improve their “maritime surveillance” of suspicious vessels and share that information with other countries. Member states also will be encouraged to board and inspect “vessels of interest in the high seas or in the exclusive economic zones of the EU Member States.”
The roadmap also outlined a proposal for measures to curb imports of Russian nuclear energy. It’s specifically planning restrictions for imports of enriched uranium and supply contracts for uranium, enriched uranium and other nuclear materials from Russia.
Although the EU said the member states that depend most on Russian nuclear energy have been able to sign supply contracts with alternative suppliers, that alternative fuel still “needs to be tested and licensed in each Member State before it can replace Russian fuel.” The commission said it wants to accelerate the licensing and contracting for those alternative suppliers while also encouraging member states to boost their own nuclear energy production.