BRUSSELS, Belgium, Dec 3 (AFP): European Union lawmakers and member states reached a deal Wednesday to ban all imports of Russian gas by autumn 2027, as the bloc seeks to choke off key funds feeding Moscow's war chest.
"This is the dawn of a new era, the era of Europe's full energy independence from Russia," EU chief Ursula von der Leyen told reporters following the overnight deal.
Aimed at breaking a reliance the bloc has struggled to end despite the invasion of Ukraine, the accord marks a compromise between EU capitals and the European Parliament, which wanted the ban to hit sooner.
"We've made it: Europe is turning off the tap on Russian gas, forever," EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen wrote on X. "We've chosen energy security and independence for Europe. No more blackmail. No more market manipulation by Putin. We stand strong with Ukraine."
But the Kremlin hit back, saying the move would "accelerate" a decline of the EU's economy as it would force the bloc to resort to more expensive alternatives.
Under the deal, long-term pipeline contracts -- considered the most sensitive because they can run for decades -- will be banned from September 30, 2027, provided storage levels are sufficient, and no later than November 1, 2027.
For liquefied natural gas (LNG), long-term contracts will be prohibited from January 1, 2027, in line with a call by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to tighten sanctions on Moscow.
Short-term contracts will be phased out earlier: from April 25, 2026 for LNG and June 17, 2026 for pipeline gas.
The move aims "to end dependency on Russian energy following Russia's weaponisation of gas supplies with significant effects on the European energy market," said a European Council statement.
