What changed between the plenary report and the adopted text

Removed:(20c) ‘country of production’ means the country where the natural gas is extracted; in cases where the natural gas is extracted in one country, but liquified or re-gasified in another country, the country of production is considered to be the country of extraction;

Removed:(20d) ‘natural gas undertakings’ means natural gas undertakings as defined in Article 2 point 15 of Directive (EU) 2024/1788 of the European Parliament and of the Council;

Removed:(20e) ‘pipeline operator’ means a natural or legal person responsible for planning, organising, supervising or conducting activities associated with the operation of the pipeline;

Removed:(20f) ‘significant influence’ means significant influence as defined in Article 1 point (5) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/676.

Removed:STEPWISE BAN OF NATURAL GAS IMPORTS FROM THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Removed:Prohibition of natural gas imports from the Russian Federation

Removed:1. The import of natural gas in gaseous state via pipelines, which originates in or is exported directly or indirectly from the Russian Federation, and temporary storage of such gas shall be prohibited as of 1 January 2026 unless one of the exceptions in Article 4 applies.

Removed:2. The import and the temporary storage of LNG, which originates in or is exported directly or indirectly from the Russian Federation, shall be prohibited as of 1 January 2026, unless one of the exceptions in Article 4 applies.

Removed:Transition phase for existing supply contracts

Removed:1. Where the importer can demonstrate to customs authorities that imports of natural gas referred to in Article 3 are executed under a short-term supply contract concluded before 17 June 2025, and not amended thereafter, Article 3 shall apply as of 17 June 2026.

Removed:▌

Removed:3. Where the importer can demonstrate to customs authorities that imports of natural gas referred to in Article 3 are executed under a long-term supply contract concluded before 17 June 2025, and not amended thereafter, Article 3 shall apply as of 1 January 2027.

Removed:4. The quantities of imports made in accordance with paragraphs 1 and 3 shall not exceed the contracted quantities.

Removed:Prohibition to provide LNG long-term terminal services to Russian customers

Removed:The provision of long-term LNG terminal services in the Union to entities established in the Russian Federation or to entities owned or controlled, directly or indirectly via various frameworks, such as intermediate structures or subsidiaries, by natural persons or legal entities established in the Russian Federation or under significant influence of the Russian Federation shall be prohibited as of 1 January 2026.

Removed:Transition phase for LNG terminal services under existing contracts

Removed:Where the provider of long-term LNG terminal services referred to in Article 5 can demonstrate to customs authorities that those services are provided under a contract concluded before 17 June 2025 and not amended thereafter, Article 5 shall apply as of 1 January 2027.

Removed:BAN OF OIL IMPORTS FROM THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Removed:Prohibition of oil imports, including petroleum product imports, from the Russian Federation

Removed:The import and temporary storage of oil, including petroleum products, which originate in or are exported directly or indirectly from the Russian Federation as well as of petroleum products obtained in a third country from crude oil originating in the Russian Federation, shall be prohibited as of 1 January 2026.

Removed:Submission and verification of relevant information

Removed:(1) Importers of the products referred to in Article 6a shall provide customs authorities with relevant information and evidence necessary to implement that Article.

Removed:(2) The information and evidence referred to in paragraph 1 shall allow the customs authorities to establish:

Removed:(a) in the case of crude oil: the country of origin of that oil;

Removed:(b) in the case of petroleum products: the country of origin of the product or, where the product is imported from a third country, the country of origin of the crude oil on the basis of which the product was obtained.

Removed:By means of an implementing act, the Commission shall, by no later than 5 days after entry into force of this Regulation, determine the minimum standards for such evidence, including the type, format and authentication requirements, in order to ensure uniform application across Member States.

Removed:In case where customs authorities consider that the evidence provided in relation to a good as referred to in Article 6a is not conclusive, they shall refuse the release for free circulation or the temporary storage of that good.

Removed:(3) Operators of oil pipelines transporting crude oil into the territory of the Union shall analyse and verify the geographic origin of all oil volumes entering the Union at border entry points.

Removed:Pipeline operators shall submit, on a quarterly basis, the following to the competent national authority of the Member State where the entry point is located:

Removed:(a) a summary report of origin certifications for all imported oil volumes;

Removed:(b) copies of all corresponding countries of origin;

Removed:(c) notification of any discrepancies or suspected falsifications.

Removed:Competent authorities of the Member States shall have the right to conduct on-site inspections and audits of pipeline entry points, to request full documentation relating to the origin of imported oil and to require enforcement measures in cases of non-compliance.

Removed:Pipeline operators shall retain all records and origin certifications for a minimum of five years and make them available for inspection upon request.

Removed:SUBMISSION AND EXCHANGE OF RELEVANT INFORMATION

Removed:Submission of relevant information ▌

Removed:1. Importers of natural gas, and/or natural gas undertakings where appropriate, shall provide customs authorities with all relevant information necessary to implement Articles 3 and 4, in particular appropriate evidence, such as evidence of independent verification of the country of production, which may include upstream delivery documentation and satellite tracking of LNG tankers to verify whether the natural gas originates in or is exported directly or indirectly from the Russian Federation.

Removed:For the purposes of application of Article 4, importers of natural gas shall provide customs authorities and other authorities involved in the monitoring pursuant to Article 9 and 10, with appropriate evidence to assess whether the conditions set out in ▌Article 4 are met.

Removed:2. Where natural gas, which originates in or is exported directly or indirectly from the Russian Federation, is imported or temporarily stored pursuant to Article 4, that import or temporary storage shall be subject to prior authorisation from customs authorities. Importers shall provide to the customs authorities, no later than one month before the planned date of import or temporary storage, at least the following information:

Removed:(a) the date of the conclusion of the gas supply contract;

Removed:(b) the duration of the gas supply contract;

Removed:(c) the contracted gas quantities, including all upward or downward flexibility rights;

Removed:(d) the identity of the parties to the gas supply contract, including, for parties registered in the EU, the Economic Operator Registration and Identification (EORI) number;

Removed:(e) the producer of the gas and the country of production, and, as appropriate, the country where the gas was further processed;

Removed:(f) for LNG imports, the place of liquefaction and the port of first loading, as well as all the evidence needed to prevent flag of convenience and shadow fleets;

Removed:(g) the delivery points, including possible flexibilities concerning the delivery point.

Removed:(h) any modification of the gas supply contract, indicating content and date of the modification, with the exception of modifications which relate solely to the gas price;

Removed:2a. Imports of natural gas produced in countries other than the Russian Federation shall be subject to prior authorisation, except in the cases set out in paragraph 2b. Importers shall provide the customs authorities and other authorities in the Member State where the gas is to be imported or temporarily stored, no later than one month before the planned date of import or temporary storage, with unambiguous evidence to establish the country of production of the natural gas.

Removed:In order to ensure uniform application of paragraph 1 across Member States, the Commission shall, by ... [5 days after entry into force of this Regulation], adopt implementing acts determining the minimum standards for evidence referred to in that paragraph, including the type, format and authentication requirements. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the advisory procedure referred to in Article 15a(2).

Removed:On duly justified imperative grounds of urgency relating to significant risks for trade and security stemming from possible circumvention of this Regulation, the Commission shall adopt immediately applicable implementing acts in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 15a(3).

Removed:Member States shall cooperate with one another and with the Commission in the assessment of applications for prior authorisation. Where there are indications of falsification, fraud or circumvention, OLAF, in line with its mandate, shall provide support to the customs and other competent authorities.

Removed:Information on authorisations granted, refused or revoked shall be transmitted without delay to the Commission and shared within the Gas Coordination Group, in order to enhance transparency and assist Member States in preventing circumvention, minimising risk and combating fraud.

Removed:On its own initiative, or following a notification from a Member State, the Commission may request additional information from the customs authorities for the purpose of ensuring a uniform application of the criteria used for the authorisation procedure.

Removed:2b. No prior authorisation shall be required where the gas is imported from a gas-producing country which prohibits the import of natural gas produced in the Russian Federation.

Removed:In order to facilitate the application of paragraph 1 across Member States, the Commission shall, by ... [5 days after entry into force of this Regulation], adopt implementing acts setting out the list of countries which prohibit the import of natural gas produced in the Russian Federation. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the advisory procedure referred to in Article 15a(2). The Commission shall review that list every three months and, where appropriate, amend it.

Removed:On duly justified imperative grounds of urgency relating to significant risks for trade and security stemming from possible circumvention of this Regulation, the Commission shall adopt immediately applicable implementing acts in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 15a(3).

Removed:3. Customs authorities or other authorities involved in the monitoring pursuant to Article 9 and 10, may request more detailed information, except price information, if the required information is necessary to assess whether the conditions set out in Article 3 and 4 are fulfilled. Customs authorities may, in particular, require importers to submit the text of certain provisions of the gas supply contract in full or the text of entire gas supply contract, except price information, especially where certain contractual provisions are interrelated, or where the full knowledge of the formulation of the contractual provisions is crucial for the assessment. In cases where the customs authorities consider that the evidence provided is not conclusive, they shall refuse the release for free circulation or the temporary storage of the goods.

Removed:4. Natural gas entering ▌the Union through the following interconnection points shall be presumed to be exported directly or indirectly from the Russian Federation▌.

Removed:(a) Imatra (FI/RU);

Removed:(b) Narva (EE/RU);