What changed between the plenary report and the adopted text

Removed:(9) Diversifying LNG import capacity is essential for strengthening and maintaining energy security within the Union. A significant portion of that capacity is controlled by Russian companies via long-term contracts of more than 10 years, creating a risk that the capacity rights reserved in those contracts could be used to obstruct imports from alternative sources through capacity hoarding practices. Similar practices could make Union energy markets subject to the prolonged influence of Russian companies, which have previously demonstrated a significant capacity to distort markets in the Union, using existing dependencies. ▌Given the essential role that LNG is expected to play in securing alternative energy supplies ▌it is essential to complement the gas import ban with a prohibition on providing LNG terminal services to Russian entities. To assist Member States in ending their dependency on Russian gas supplies, and to ensure the effective delivery of LNG imports from alternative sources, it is important to prevent Russian customers of LNG terminal services from blocking the necessary import infrastructure▌. The provision of long-term LNG terminal services to entities from Russia or to entities owned or controlled, directly or indirectly via various frameworks, such as intermediate structures or subsidiaries, by Russian Federation, or under significant influence from the Russian Federation should be therefore prohibited as of 1 January 2026. Those provided under a contract concluded before 17 June 2025, should be prohibited as of 1 January 2027. This should enable the reallocation of terminal capacity to alternative LNG suppliers and strengthen the resilience of the energy market in the Union.

Removed:(10) The Commission has carefully assessed the impact on the Union and on its Member States of a possible prohibition of Russian imports of natural gas and of the provision of LNG terminal services to Russian entities. In fact, preparatory work and several detailed analyses of the consequences of a total phase out of Russian gas have been conducted and published since 2022, and the Commission could also draw upon a multitude of consultations with stakeholders, external experts and agencies, and studies on the effects of the phase out of Russian gas. The Commission’s analysis showed that a phase out of Russian natural gas imports, if introduced in a stepwise, coordinated and well-prepared manner in a spirit of solidarity, is likely to have limited impact on energy prices in the Union, and that it will enhance and not endanger the Union’s security of supply, due to the exit of an unreliable trading partner from the Union markets. As set out in the REPower Roadmap, the implementation of the REPowerEU Plan has already reduced supply dependencies from Russia, for instance by measures to reduce gas demand or to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy sources, as well as active support to diversification of energy supplies and the increase of the EU bargaining power via Joint gas purchasing. The Assessment of Impact also showed that upfront coordination of diversification policies can avoid harmful effects on prices or supplies. Moreover, the global LNG supply is growing rapidly, while gas demand in the Union is in steady decline. Since 2021, gas consumption in the Union has dropped by 80 bcm/y and it is now down by 17% on average, compared to the period before February 2022. As the projected reduction in consumption by 2027 is larger than the current imports from Russia, only a small part of the Russian gas imports would need to be replaced with alternative suppliers. Therefore, setting 1 January 2027 as the end date for Russian gas imports is both feasible and well-timed.

Removed:(11) The proposed Regulation is fully compatible with the Union’s strategy to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels imports by enhancing decarbonisation and rapidly expanding domestically produced clean energy. As set out in the REPower Roadmap, the implementation of the REPowerEU Plan has already resulted in substantial gas savings of more than 60 billion cubic meters annually in gas imports between 2022 and 2024, allowing the Union to reduce supply dependencies from Russia. This could be achieved by measures to reduce gas demand, to increase energy efficiency or to accelerate the green transition by an accelerated deployment of wind and solar generation capacity, which significantly increased the share of renewables in the energy mix, as well as by active support to diversification of energy supplies and the increase of the EU bargaining power via joint gas purchasing. Moreover, the full implementation of the energy transition, the recent Action Plan for Affordable Energy and other measures, notably investments in the production of low-carbon alternatives for energy intensive products, such as fertilisers, are expected to replace up to 100 bcm of natural gas by 2030. These combined efforts will strengthen the Union’s resilience, competitiveness, and open strategic autonomy, support European industries, SMEs and citizens facilitate the phase out of gas imports from the Russian Federation.

Removed:(12) In line with the Versailles Declaration and the REPowerEU Communication, a large number of gas importers have already terminated or significantly reduced their gas supplies from Russia. As set out in the Assessment of Impacts, the remaining gas volumes under existing supply contracts can, be phased out without significant economic impact or risks for security of supply, due to the availability of sufficient alternative suppliers on the gas world market, a well-interconnected Union gas market and the availability of sufficient import infrastructure. The related measures need to be in line with the current energy framework of the Union.

Removed:(13) Short-term contracts, that is contracts on individual or multiple natural gas supplies of a duration of less than one year, concern smaller volumes than the large multi-year supply contracts importers hold with Russian companies. These existing contracts will in any event be close to expiration when this Regulation will enter into force. Accordingly, the risk for economic security resulting from existing short term-contracts appears to be low. It is therefore appropriate to exempt existing short-term contracts from the immediate application of the import allowing for a transition phase until 17 June 2026.

Removed:(14) An exemption from the prohibition of gas imports as of 1 January 2026 should also be granted for existing long term supply contracts. Indeed, importers holding long-term contracts will usually need more time to find alternative supply routes and sources than short-term contract holders, also as long-term contracts usually concern significantly larger volumes over time than short-term contracts. A transition time should therefore be introduced to give holders of long-term contracts sufficient time to diversify their supplies in an orderly manner. A legal prohibition of imports of natural gas under a Union trade measure constitutes ‘force majeure’, a sovereign act of the Union beyond the control of gas importers, rendering the performance of natural gas imports from Russia unlawful, with direct legal effect and without any discretion for Member States concerning its application. The Commission should provide information and technical assistance to EU companies, including through best practices and training sessions, to facilitate the effective implementation of the Regulation.

Removed:▌

Removed:(16) While it appears justified to exempt existing “legacy” contracts from the immediate application, not all contracts entered into before the entry into force of this Regulation should benefit from such exemption. Indeed, there may be an incentive by Russian suppliers to use the time between the publication of this proposal until the entry into force of the ban to increase current supplies, by concluding new contracts, increasing volumes by changing existing contracts or using flexibilities under existing contracts. In order to ensure that imports from Russia do not increase but decrease as a result of the proposed Regulation, measures should be included in the Regulation to avoid a “rush” for new Russian gas imports in the time between the adoption of this proposal and the entry into force of the ban. Indeed, the commitment from Heads of State to phase out gas supplies was already made in March 2022; it was renewed in the REPowerEU Strategy, the REPowerEU Plan and the REPowerEU Roadmap. At the latest with the publication of the proposal for this Regulation, it is no longer appropriate consider contracts concluded after that date as “legacy” contracts. Contracts concluded after 17 June 2025 should therefore not benefit from the exceptional transition provisions for existing short and long-term contracts.

Removed:(17) In order to avoid that import volumes provided for in existing supply contracts are increased and not decreased, amendments to existing supply contracts should be considered as new contracts for the purposes of this Regulation, and increases of import volumes by using contractual flexibilities should not benefit from the transition period.

Removed:(18) This Regulation creates a clear legal prohibition to import and temporarily store Russian natural gas and oil, including petroleum products, constituting a sovereign act of the Union beyond the control of respective importers and rendering the performance of natural gas and oil, including petroleum products, imports from Russia and the temporary storage unlawful, with direct legal effect and without any discretion for Member States concerning its application.

Removed:(19) Unlike other goods, natural gas is a homogeneous commodity which is traded in large volumes and often resold multiple times between traders at wholesale level. Taking into account the particular complexity of tracing the country of production of natural gas, and bearing in mind that Russian suppliers might seek to circumvent this Regulation, for example by sales via intermediaries, via transshipments or transport through other countries, this Regulation should provide for an effective framework to establish the actual origin and the point of export of natural gas imported into the Union.

Removed:(20) In particular, importers of natural gas, and/or natural gas undertakings planning to temporarily store, should be obliged to provide customs authorities with all information necessary to establish the country of production and the point of export of natural gas imported into the Union and to decide whether the imported gas falls under the general prohibition or one of its exceptions. The concept of country of production allows customs authorities to determine the origin of the imported gas which remains the country of extraction even if the natural gas is liquified or regasified in another country. As the contractual conditions determining the elements relevant for the assessment of the customs authorities are often complex, customs authorities should be given the power to ask importers for detailed contract information, including entire supply contracts, excluding price information, where this is necessary to understand the context of certain clauses or references to other contractual provisions. However, the level of information required should depend on the origin of the natural gas and be based on the risk of circumvention. For gas originating in or exported directly or indirectly from the Russian Federation, a prior authorisation from customs authorities should be required and to this end, importers should submit detailed evidence, such as evidence related to delivery points, quantities, information on liquefaction and loading ports. For gas originating in countries other than the Russian Federation, importers should provide evidence to establish the country of production. The Commission should determine the minimum standards for such evidence, including the type, format and authentication requirements, in order to ensure uniform application across Member States. No prior authorisation or evidence should be required for imports from countries prohibiting Russian gas imports, in a manner equivalent to the obligations laid down in this Regulation, and the Commission should establish a list of such countries. The Regulation should include rules to ensure an effective protection of business secrets of concerned undertakings.

Removed:(20a) Importers of oil, including petroleum products, should be required to submit to the customs authorities an application for prior authorisation of imports accompanied by all information necessary to establish the country of origin of the imported crude oil, the country of origin of the imported petroleum product or the country of origin of crude oil on the basis of which the petroleum product was obtained. The Commission should determine the minimum standards for such evidence, including the type, format and authentication requirements, in order to ensure uniform application across Member States. The Regulation should also establish obligations for oil pipeline operators, regarding the verification of origin. A requirement to verify and certify the origin of oil at the point of entry will provide an essential safeguard against the unauthorised import of restricted commodities and will complement existing import controls.

Removed:(20b) In order to establish the minimum standards for evidence which importers need to present to customs authorities to prove the origin of natural gas, oil and petroleum products, implementing powers should be conferred on the Commission. The Commission should adopt immediately applicable implementing acts where, in duly justified cases relating to the significant risks for trade and security stemming from possible circumvention of this Regulation, imperative grounds of urgency so require. Those powers should be exercised in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council.

Removed:(21) Customs authorities should cooperate with regulatory authorities, competent authorities, the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER), the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) and the Commission to implement the provisions of this Regulation and exchange relevant information, notably when it comes to the assessment of exemptions allowing imports of Russian natural gas after 1.1.2026. Customs authorities, regulatory authorities, competent authorities and ACER should have the necessary tools and databases in place to ensure that relevant information can be exchanged between national authorities and authorities in different Member States where necessary. Customs authorities and relevant authorities should access, use and exchange the relevant information gathered pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2024/1787 ("Methane Regulation"), in particular data related to gas supply chain traceability, to support the detection and prevention of circumvention. Member States should ensure that customs authorities and other relevant authorities have adequate powers, functional independence, and the capabilities to fulfil the obligations set out in this Regulation. ACER should contribute with its expertise to the process of monitoring the implementation. To facilitate the creation of the necessary interoperable joint information systems, the Commission and Member States may explore possibilities to make use of budget under the Internal Security Fund (ISF). Customs authorities should notify regulatory authorities, the national competent authority and the Commission on a monthly basis regarding key elements concerning the development of imports of Russian gas (such as quantities imported under long-term or short-term contracts, entry points, or contract partners). Where the Commission has doubts as to the effectiveness of monitoring at the Member State level, the Commission should request the necessary information from customs authorities and other relevant authorities.

Removed:(21a) There is increasing evidence that certain suppliers may resort to opaque maritime transport practices, including the use of so-called dark or shadow fleets that disable tracking systems, reflag vessels or conduct ship-to-ship transfers to obscure the origin, ownership and destination of energy shipments. Although such practices have been predominantly observed in oil transport, they could also pose risks for LNG imports, undermining the objectives of this Regulation. It is therefore necessary that Member States monitor maritime transport practices in their territorial waters, including by requesting any relevant documentation.

Removed:(21b) The Union has created a robust legal framework to ensure security of gas supply at all times, and to deal with possible supply crises in a coordinated manner, including obligations on Member States to provide for effective and operational solidarity to neighbours in need of gas. The Commission should constantly monitor the development of market risks for gas supply resulting from gas trade with Russia at Union, regional and Member State level. To avoid indirect circumvention of the prohibitions set out in this Regulation, the Commission should also constantly monitor the flows of Russian natural gas transiting through third countries, particularly Türkiye and Azerbaijan and carry out a risk-based analysis of LNG terminals to identify those for which there are reasonable grounds to suspect imports of Russian natural gas. The Commission should establish a list of such terminals, and could propose appropriate measures, including legislative proposals, to mitigate identified risks. The Commission should also publish an annual report on natural gas flows from third countries, including an assessment of risks of circumvention.

Removed:(21c) The petrochemical industry is closely linked to the oil and gas industry, as its feedstocks are derived directly from oil refining and natural gas processing. To prevent circumvention of the ban on Russian crude oil and petroleum products, it is essential to closely monitor imports of petrochemical products CN Code 39 obtained in third countries from Russian crude oil. Failure to address these imports could risk the effectiveness of this Regulation. The Commission should therefore assess their impact and, where disruptions are confirmed, take appropriate measures, which may include a legislative proposal.

Removed:(22) Russia is a major gas exporter and has not played any noticeable role as gas transit country in the past. This is due to several factors, such as the lack of regasification infrastructure, the organisation of gas trade in Russia via a pipeline export monopoly, business models of Russian gas companies which are not based on organising transits, or Russia’s geographical location. Therefore, imports of natural gas arriving via interconnection points between the Russian Federation and the Union are usually originating in, or exported directly or indirectly from the Russian Federation. The same consideration applies to gas imported via interconnection points between the Union and Serbia, as Serbia can, for technical reasons, only export gas of Russian origin towards the Union. In order to ensure that the measures to prevent the import of gas which originates in or is exported directly or indirectly from the Russian Federation are kept up to date, the power to adopt acts in accordance with Article 290 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union should be delegated to the Commission to amend the list of interconnection points where gas is presumed to be exported directly or indirectly from the Russian Federation. It is of particular importance that the Commission carry out appropriate consultations during its preparatory work, including at expert level, and that those consultations be conducted in accordance with the principles laid down in the Interinstitutional Agreement of 13 April 2016 on Better Law-Making*. In particular, to ensure equal participation in the preparation of delegated acts, the European Parliament and the Council should receive all documents at the same time as Member States' experts, and their experts systematically have access to meetings of Commission expert groups dealing with the preparation of delegated acts.

Removed:(23) Experience with the announced phase out of gas supplies via Ukraine has shown that good preparation and coordination in a spirit of solidarity can effectively avoid market disruptions or security of supply problems potentially resulting from changing gas suppliers. To prepare for the full phase out of Russian gas in 2027 in a coordinated manner and to give the market sufficient time to anticipate the changes involved without risk for security of gas supply or a significant impact on energy prices, Member States should prepare national diversification plans and present them by 1 March 2026. Those plans should describe intended measures at national or regional level to reduce demand, foster renewable energy production and ensure alternative supplies, as well as possible technical or regulatory barriers which may complicate the diversification process, and measures to ensure full transparency and actual control preventing possible circumvention. As the diversification process may require coordination of measures at national, regional or Union level, the Commission should assess the national diversification plans, with the possibility to issue decisions to adapt those plans where necessary.

Removed:▌

Removed:(25) Experience during the gas crisis of 2022 and 2023 has shown ▌that comprehensive information on the supply situation and possible supply dependencies is crucial to monitor gas supply in the Union. Therefore importers of Russian gas making use of the exemptions laid down in this Regulation should submit to the Commission all information which is necessary to effectively evaluate possible risks for gas trade. That information should include key parameters, or even whole text parts, of the relevant gas supply contracts, excluding price information, where this is necessary to understand the context of certain clauses or references to other provisions in the contract. When monitoring gas supply in the Union, the Commission should also take into account information on imports provided by customs authorities and information included in national diversification plans. The Commission should regularly inform the Gas Coordination Group established by Regulation (EU) 2017/1938 about the phase-out process at the Union level and submit an annual report on the Russian gas phase-out, which may be accompanied by specific Union recommendations and actions to accelerate the phase-out process.

Removed:(26) Member States and Union should cooperate closely in the implementation of this Regulation. With a view to the recent practice of the Russian Federation to unilaterally change agreed court and arbitration procedures in a manner not compatible with international customary law or bilateral investment treaties entered between Member States and Russia, it follows from international law that affected companies and Member States cannot be held liable for any judgments, arbitral awards, including investor-State arbitral awards, or other judicial decisions adopted under procedures which are illegal under international customary law or under a bilateral investment treaty, and against which the person or Member State concerned does not have effective access to the remedies under the relevant jurisdiction. With respect to financial responsibilities concerning possible investor-to-state dispute settlement resolution cases, reference is made, to Regulation (EU) 912/2014, where applicable.

Removed:▌

Removed:(27a) To ensure compliance with this Regulation, Member States should establish penalties that are effective, proportionate and dissuasive. These penalties should take into account the seriousness and duration of the infringement, any advantages gained, cooperation with authorities, past conduct, and other relevant circumstances. A harmonised provision of penalties, when applying administrative fines, should be introduced, to ensure consistent application of this Regulation across the Member States. By one month from the entry into force of this Regulation, Member States should inform the Commission of the penalty rules they adopt and of any later changes without undue delay.

Removed:(28) The proposed measures fully reflect the principle of energy solidarity. Indeed, the level of exposure to Russian gas imports differs between Member States, and many Member States have already taken measures to phase out Russian gas. The proposal for this Regulation will ensure an EU-wide harmonised approach to the phase out of Russian gas, preserving solidarity between Member States.

Removed:(29) Since the objectives of this Regulation relating to the monitoring of possible gas dependencies cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States in a coordinated manner and without risk of market fragmentation, but can be better and more efficiently achieved at Union level, the Union may adopt measures, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty on European Union. In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article, this Regulation does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve that objective.

Removed:(30) In view of the importance for the Union to phase out further economic dependence of the Union on gas imports from the Russian Federation without any delay, this Regulation should enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union,

Removed:HAVE ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Removed:GENERAL PROVISIONS

Removed:Subject matter

Removed:This Regulation provides a framework for effectively eliminating the Union’s remaining exposure to the significant risks for trade and security, resulting from gas and oil trade with the Russian Federation by laying down:

Removed:(a) a stepwise prohibition of imports and temporary storage of natural gas from the Russian Federation and of the provision of LNG terminal services;

Removed:(aa) a prohibition of oil imports, including petroleum product imports, from the Russian Federation;

Removed:(b) rules to effectively implement and monitor those prohibitions;

Removed:(c) provisions to better assess the security of energy supplies in the Union.

Removed:Definitions

Removed:For the purpose of this Regulation, the following definitions shall apply:

Removed:(1) ‘natural gas’ means natural gas as defined in Article 2, point (1), of Directive (EU) 2024/1788 of the European Parliament and of the Council and as referred to in Combined Nomenclature (CN) codes 2711 11 00 and 2711 21 00;

Removed:(2) ‘LNG’ means liquefied natural gas as referred to in CN code 2711 11 00;

Removed:(3) ‘natural gas in gaseous state’ means natural gas as referred to in CN code 2711 21 00;

Removed:(4) ‘long-term supply contract’ means a contract for the supply of natural gas, excluding a natural gas derivative, exceeding one year;

Removed:(5) ‘short-term supply contract’ means a contract for the supply of natural gas, excluding a natural gas derivative, not exceeding one year;

Removed:▌

Removed:(7) ‘importer’ means a natural or legal person who has the power to determine and has determined that natural gas from a third country is to be brought into the customs territory of or otherwise placed on the Union market;

Removed:(8) ‘customs authority’ means a customs authority as defined in Article 5, point (1), of Regulation (EU) No 952/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council;

Removed:(9) ‘competent authority’ means a competent authority as defined in Article 2, point (7), of Regulation (EU) 2017/1938 of the European Parliament and of the Council;

Removed:(10) ‘regulatory authority’ means a regulatory authority designated in accordance with Article 76(1) of Directive (EU) 2024/1788;

Removed:(11) ‘control’ means control as defined in Article 2, point (55), of Directive (EU) 2024/1788;

Removed:(12) ‘long-term LNG terminal services’ means services provided by LNG system operators to customers, in particular offloading, storage, sending out, berthing (loading and unloading), regassification, backhaul liquefaction, truck loading, bunkering of LNG, and including ancillary services and temporary storage necessary for the re-gasification process and subsequent delivery to the transmission system under contracts with a duration of more than one year;

Removed:(13) ‘interconnection point’ means an interconnection point as defined in Article 2, point (63), of Directive (EU) 2024/1788;

Removed:(14) ‘entry point’ means an entry point as defined in Article 2, point (61), of Directive (EU) 2024/1788;

Removed:(15) ‘virtual trading point’ means virtual trading point as defined in Article 2, point (59), of Directive (EU) 2024/1788;

Removed:(16) ’contracted quantities’ means the quantities of natural gas that the buyer or the importer is obligated to purchase and the seller or the exporter is obligated to provide, as specified in the supply contract, excluding volumes arising from adjustments to the contract, such as make-up quantities, shortfall recoveries, or other volumetric modifications under the terms of the contract; for long-term supply contracts, it means the annual contracted quantities;

Removed:(17) ‘make-up quantities’ mean the volumes of natural gas which a purchaser or the importer is entitled or obligated to take delivery of and pay for in subsequent periods, in compliance with minimum take-or-pay requirements and in order to compensate for any shortfall in the quantities contracted but not taken in prior periods, as provided for in a long-term supply contract;

Removed:(18) ‘delivery schedule’ means the timetable or plan agreed between the parties to a gas supply contract, specifying the quantities of gas to be delivered by the seller or the exporter and received by the buyer or the importer over defined time intervals, including the timing, location, and conditions of delivery, as set forth in a supply contract or any related operational procedures;

Removed:(19) ‘nomination’ means a nomination as defined in Article 2, point (8), of Regulation (EU) 2024/1789 of the European Parliament and of the Council;

Removed:(20) ‘oil’ means crude oil, natural gas liquids, refinery feedstocks, additives and oxygenates and other hydrocarbons and oil products falling under CN codes 2709 and 2710.

Removed:(20a) ‘import’ means the placing of goods under release for free circulation, as referred to in Article 201 of Regulation (EU) No 952/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council;

Removed:(20b) 'temporary storage' means temporary storage as defined in Article 5, point (17) of Regulation (EU) No 952/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council;