The first session of negotiations between the Council of the EU and the European Parliament on the ‘REPowerEU’ regulation for a complete phase-out of Russian fossil gas was intended to get straight to the heart of the matter, by tackling the most sensitive points.
These concern the date of entry into force of the ban on all Russian gas contracts, the definitive ban on Russian oil imports, the prior authorisation mechanism for the entry of non-Russian LNG and the Parliament’s proposal for fines in the event of infringement.
Possible solution for the ban’s start date. For the definitive ban on all long-term gas contracts, the EU Council is keeping the date proposed by the European Commission, i.e. 1 January 2028. Parliament has brought this date forward by one year, to 1 January 2027. According to three sources, a solution could be found on this point, as the Council could agree to move closer to Parliament’s position.
This seems likely, particularly for LNG imports, given that the 19th sanctions package, adopted on 23 October, envisages a ban on Russian LNG from 1 January 2027 (see EUROPE 13737/6). For gas imported via pipeline, the situation is less clear-cut, as the EU Council points out, noting that the timeframe is too tight to ensure security of supply, given that several additional LNG import infrastructures have yet to come on stream.
It is therefore not yet certain whether this early deadline will apply to LNG as well as to gas transported by pipeline. “These options are on the table”, says a source.
Contrasting positions. On the other points, there has been no major progress at this stage.
The review clause for the ban, in the event of threats to security of supply (Article 15), is a point that the Council of the EU does not want to abandon, despite Parliament’s rejection. However, the text could be reworded.
The Council also rejected two of Parliament’s additions, one on possible fines in the event of infringement (up to 5% of the worldwide annual turnover of the company concerned), and the other on the inclusion of a definitive ban on the last Russian oil imports into the EU (in Hungary and Slovakia) on 1 January 2026.
These points, as well as the specific provisions concerning the prior authorisation mechanism for non-Russian imports, will continue to be discussed at technical level, before a new political trilogue on 20 November. (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)