EU Closes Gaps on Russian Gas Imports

European Union nations are intensifying efforts to plug loopholes that allow Russian gas to enter Europe, even as a plan to phase out such imports looms large on the horizon. A recent draft of their negotiating proposal lays out stringent rules to seal these gaps, according to Reuters.

In June, the European Commission proposed a deadline of January 1, 2028, to terminate EU imports of Russian oil and gas, signaling a drastic shift in decades-old energy policies. The proposal follows Russia's 2022 incursion into Ukraine. EU member states are now hashing out the details to ensure Moscow can't bypass these impending sanctions by labeling gas as 'transited' from another nation.

Specifically targeting the TurkStream pipeline, which channels Russian gas to Turkey and onward to Bulgaria, the draft calls for stringent evidence to prove any gas is non-Russian. Denmark, holding the EU's rotating presidency, crafted the proposal, which calls for a phased ban on Russian gas under various contract lengths, beginning in 2026.