Overview
- EU Council–Parliament negotiators agreed a legally binding phaseout that still requires final approvals before implementation.
- Short-term contracts signed before 17 June 2025 must cease by 25 April 2026 for LNG and by 17 June 2026 for pipeline gas.
- Long-term LNG contracts are banned from 1 January 2027, with a complete halt due between late 2026 and autumn 2027.
- The deal permits companies to invoke force majeure to exit existing agreements, underscoring the plan’s legal and operational complexity.
- Hungary and Slovakia plan to challenge the measure at the EU Court of Justice, while Russia seeks alternative buyers in India as Putin visits New Delhi with energy executives and TASS reports a 33.8% November plunge in oil and gas revenue.