Strasbourg, 6 May 2025
The EU will end its dependency on Russian energy by stopping the import of Russian gas and oil and phasing out Russian nuclear energy, while ensuring stable energy supplies and prices across the Union. The REPowerEU Roadmap, presented today by the European Commission, paves the way to ensure the EU’s full energy independence from Russia.
Despite the significant progress achieved under the REPowerEU Plan and via sanctions since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in 2024 the EU saw a rebound in Russian gas imports. More coordinated actions are therefore needed, as the EU’s overdependency on Russian energy imports is a security threat.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: “The war in Ukraine has brutally exposed the risks of blackmail, economic coercion and price shocks. With REPowerEU, we have diversified our energy supply and drastically reduced Europe’s former dependency on Russian fossil fuels. It is now time for Europe to completely cut off its energy ties with an unreliable supplier. And energy that comes to our continent should not pay for a war of aggression against Ukraine. We owe this to our citizens, to our companies and to our brave Ukrainian friends.”
The roadmap sets out a gradual removal of Russian oil, gas and nuclear energy from the EU markets which will take place in a coordinated and secure manner as we advance our energy transition. The measures have been designed to preserve the security of the EU’s energy supply while limiting any impact on prices and markets.
As of 2025, the global LNG supplies are foreseen to grow rapidly, while gas demand will decrease. With the full implementation of the energy transition framework and the Action Plan for Affordable Energy, the EU is expected to replace up to 100 billion cubic meters of natural gas by 2030, which means a decrease in demand by 40-50 bcm by 2027. At the same time, LNG capacities are expected to increase by around 200 bcm by 2028, which is five times more than current EU imports of Russian gas.
Today’s roadmap will be followed by legislative proposals by the Commission next month.
A coordinated and stepwise phase-out of Russian energy supplies
The Commission will work with the Member States to ensure that the EU-wide phaseout of Russian energy imports will be gradual and well-coordinated across the Union. They will be asked to prepare national plans by the end of this year setting out how they will contribute to phasing out imports of Russian gas, nuclear energy and oil.
All the measures will be accompanied by continuous efforts to accelerate our energy transition and diversify energy supplies, including via the aggregation of gas demand and a better use of infrastructure, to discard risks to the security of supply and market stability.
As regard gas, the upcoming proposals will improve the transparency, monitoring and traceability of Russian gas across the EU markets. Crucially, new contracts with suppliers of Russian gas (pipeline and LNG) will be prevented, and existing spot contracts will be stopped by the end of 2025. This measure will ensure that already by the end of this year, the EU will have slashed by one third remaining supplies of Russian gas. The Commission will further propose to stop all remaining imports of Russian gas by the end of 2027.
Under the Roadmap, the Commission will also put forward new actions to address Russia’s shadow fleet transporting oil. As regards nuclear, the proposals coming next month will include measures on Russian imports of enriched uranium, as well as restrictions on new supply contracts co-signed by the Euratom Supply Agency (ESA) for uranium, enriched uranium and other nuclear materials deriving from Russia. A European Radioisotopes Valley Initiative is also envisaged to secure EU supply of medical radioisotopes through increased own production.
Background
The Roadmap builds on the EU’s immediate response to tackle the consequences of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, the REPowerEU Plan, introduced in May 2022. The Plan sealed the EU’s determination to wean off Russian energy while accelerating the rollout of renewable energy and improving energy savings and energy efficiency.
Measures taken so far have reduced the volumes of imported Russian gas from 150 bcm in 2021 to 52 bcm in 2024 – with the share of Russian gas imports dropping from 45% to 19%. All imports of Russian coal have been banned by sanctions; oil imports have shrunk from 27% at the beginning of 2022 to 3% now. In nuclear, Member States that are still using Russian-designed VVER reactors have made progress in replacing Russian nuclear fuel with fuel from other producers.
By phasing out Russian energy, the REPowerEU Roadmap will reduce the security risks the Union is facing. It will also contribute to the economic plan set out by the Competitiveness Compass, the Clean Industrial Deal and the Affordable Energy Action Plan which underlined how a cleaner and independent energy system help boost the economy while also making a massive contribution to Europe’s decarbonisation ambitions.
Read the Roadmap
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Quote(s)
The war in Ukraine has brutally exposed the risks of blackmail, economic coercion and price shocks. With REPowerEU, we have diversified our energy supply and drastically reduced Europe’s former dependency on Russian fossil fuels. It is now time for Europe to completely cut off its energy ties with an unreliable supplier. And energy that comes to our continent should not pay for a war of aggression against Ukraine. We owe this to our citizens, to our companies and to our brave Ukrainian friends.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission
There have always been good reasons to accelerate energy transition towards efficient and renewable energy solutions. Putin’s weaponisation of energy reinforces the need to accelerate energy transition, diversify the supply and bet on our own capacities to ensure secure energy supplies and stable prices. This is crucial for our industrial competitiveness and for the well-being of our citizens.
Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice-President for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition
Today the EU shows strength and resolution. The message to Russia is clear: “No more shall you blackmail our Member States. No more shall Euros go into your war chest. Your gas will be banned. Your shadow fleet will be stopped.” We do this to preserve our security. But it is also an important step towards becoming energy independent. Producing our own clean affordable energy instead of importing expensive fossils fuels.
Dan Jørgensen, Commissioner for Energy and Housing
Source – EU Commission
Questions and answers on the EU Roadmap to phase out Russian energy imports
Strasbourg, 6 May 2025
Why is the Commission now proposing to fully phase out Russian energy imports?
Since Russia’s unjustified aggression on Ukraine started, the EU has significantly reduced dependencies and energy imports from Russia. As a result of the coordinated action between the Commission and Member States under the REPowerEU Plan launched in 2022, and the enhanced EU energy diplomacy with international partners, gas imports (both LNG and pipeline) from Russia have decreased significantly from 45% in 2021 to 19% in 2024. They have been replaced by supplies from more reliable sources as well as from an increase of cleaner energy in our system coupled with coordinated efforts to reduce unnecessary energy use. Projections point to a further fall to 13% in 2025 with the end of the Russian gas transit via Ukraine. Thanks to EU sanctions, Russian oil imports have also shrunk, from 27% at the beginning of 2022 to 3% now. Moreover, sanctions have completely banned imports of Russian coal to the EU and prohibited the reloading of cargoes in EU ports carrying liquified natural gas (LNG) from Russia. As regards nuclear, utilities operating Russian-designed nuclear reactors have signed contracts for nuclear fuel produced by suppliers alternative to Russia.
Despite this significant progress achieved under the REPowerEU Plan and sanctions, Russian gas, oil, and nuclear supplies remain part of the EU’s energy mix. This poses risks to our security, as well as competitiveness. In 2024, the EU imported 52 billion cubic meters of Russian gas (32 bcm via pipeline and 20 bcm via LNG), as well as 13 million tonnes of crude oil and more than 2800 tonnes of equivalent uranium in enriched or fuel form. Last year, ten Member States imported Russian natural gas, three Member States imported Russian oil, and six Member States imported enriched uranium or uranium services from Russia.
Albeit reduced, energy exports to the EU represent a source of income for the Russian state and can be used to sponsor its brutal war actions. For this reason, further EU action is needed to advance on the EU’s independence from Russia. By reducing risks of Russia’s weaponisation of energy supplies, the proposed phaseout of oil, gas and nuclear energy from Russia will further boost the EU’s energy security and help stabilise energy markets and prices.
What are the concrete measures proposed and when will they be adopted?
The Roadmap sets out nine concrete actions for a coordinated and step-wise approach to the phase out of Russian energy supplies. It will be followed next month by legislative proposals covering oil, gas and nuclear energy.
Regarding gas, the upcoming legislation will boost transparency on the energy markets by ensuring the traceability of Russian gas. It will then tackle remaining Russian gas imports into the EU in a gradual manner. First, it will introduce a ban on all imports of Russian gas (both pipeline and LNG) under new contracts and existing spot contracts, which would take effect by the end of 2025. This measure will ensure that already by the end of this year, the EU will reduce by one third the remaining supplies of Russian gas. Second, it will aim to tackle all the remaining imports of Russian gas (both pipeline and LNG) with a view to phase them out by the end of 2027. The Commission will involve the concerned Member States and ensure that the proposals will be based on an adequate assessment of legal and economic impacts to give the necessary certainty to companies.
As regards nuclear, the proposals will include measures on Russian imports of enriched uranium as well as restrictions on new supply contracts co-signed by the Euratom Supply Agency (ESA) for uranium, enriched uranium and other nuclear materials deriving from Russia. A new initiative to secure the supply of medical radioisotopes and boosting domestic production is also envisaged.
Finally, as regards oil, the Roadmap sets out new actions to tackle the shadow fleet through which Russia is circumventing sanctions and the international oil price cap. The Commission will step up its diplomatic efforts as well as cooperation with the International Maritime Organisation and start working on maritime missions under the EU Common Security and Defence Policy.
Member States will be required to prepare national plans for the EU-wide phase out of Russian gas, nuclear and oil within specific timelines. These plans will allow to take into account the national specificities and diversification needs of each Member State so that the phaseout occurs in a coordinated and well-managed manner.
What will be the impact on the EU’s security of supply and on energy prices?
Russia’s weaponisation of energy supplies has directly impacted European households and businesses causing unprecedented security risks and instability on the energy markets.
The actions presented in the Roadmap will be deployed gradually over time and in a coordinated manner with the Member States, taking into account the national specificities in terms of supply needs and alternatives. Such an approach will help minimise the impact on prices, stabilise markets through secure and predictable alternative supplies and provide legal certainty. All the measures proposed will be accompanied by sustained efforts at ensuring alternative supplies, including via demand aggregation, and optimising the use of existing gas infrastructure. They will also be underpinned by the EU’s clean transition objectives.
The close coordination between the Commission and Member States to prepare for the end of the Russian gas transit agreement via Ukraine in December 2024 has proved that coordinated preparatory actions, diversification efforts and a gradual approach in phasing out Russian imports are essential to preserve security of supply and guarantee price stability, and market predictability.
Source – EU Commission
Press remarks by EU Commissioner Jørgensen on the Commission’s roadmap towards ending Russian energy imports
Strasbourg, 6 May 2025
Today the European Union sends a very clear message to Russia:
No More. No more – will we permit Russia to weaponise energy against us. No more – will we allow our member states to be blackmailed. No more – will we indirectly help fill up the war chest in Kremlin.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 the EU has worked hard to stop all import of Russian energy. We have done that for two good reasons: to secure our independence of Russia and to cease indirectly supporting the Russian war-economy.
On imports of coal. Before 2022, half of the coal we used in the EU was from Russia. This we have stopped completely.
On oil, we have gone from 26% to 3% of our oil being from Russia.
And finally gas. We have gone from 45% of our gas coming from Russia in 2022 to 13% today.
So, we have come far. But not far enough.
Last year, we in the EU paid €23 billion to Russia for our energy imports. That is €1.8 billion per month. This needs to stop. For that reason – today – the Commission has adopted a roadmap that will finish the job.
It will be a stepwise and gradual approach, so as to minimise impact on the EU Member States affected, whilst also acting fast and resolute.
Next month, we take unparalleled actions and table a package of legislative proposals:
We will introduce new rules on transparency, monitoring and traceability of Russian gas.
We ask Member states to make mandatory national plans for phasing out Russian gas, nuclear fuel and oil. These plans need to be ready by the end of this year.
We ban all imports of Russian gas under new contracts and existing spot contracts taking effect as of the end of this year.
We ban remaining imports of Russian pipeline gas and LNG under existing long-term contracts by the end 2027.
Also to address the illegal oil entering the market via Russia’s “shadow fleet” we tighten the grip.
We will work, together with the High Representative, on the deployment of an EU Common Security and Defense Policy missions, that shall conduct surveillance, monitor maritime activities to identify suspicious vessels or behaviors and deter illegal maritime activities.
Apart from fossil fuels we also plan to take action against the import of nuclear fuels. This means:
We will introduce new restrictions to phase out Russian imports of uranium, enriched uranium and other nuclear materials as well as introduce obligations to be transparent and diversify supplies.
We will make Russian fuels economically unattractive and strengthen our European union nuclear fuel supply chain.
There will be no new approvals for contracts with Russian suppliers co-signed by the Euratom Supply Agency.
To safeguard security of supply this will be a gradual approach, as soon as possible.
So, today is an important day.
Russia is a threat to all of us. Therefore, we must act. And therefore, we take these new significant steps against Russia. Important actions to secure our own independence in solidarity with Ukraine.
Already at the end of this year all member states will put forward concrete plans on how to stop imports of Russian energy. New gas contracts and existing spot market contracts will be banned already this year. And thereby eliminating one third of today’s imports from Russia.
By the end of 2027 we will be completely free from Russian gas.
This is not a small thing. This is not without challenges. But it can be done, and we will deliver in a gradual, coordinated way. Supporting member states where and when it is necessary.
Source – EU Commission