EU Proposes Accelerating Complete Ban on Russian Gas Imports

The European Parliament proposes to expedite the complete ban on Russian gas imports by moving the deadline from January 2028 to the beginning of 2027. This was reported by Reuters, citing draft documents.

The initiative comes from lawmakers who seek a tougher approach than that presented by the European Commission in June, which proposed to halt purchases starting in 2028. Supporters of the accelerated withdrawal include representatives from the largest parliamentary groups, namely the European People's Party and the Greens.

In addition to moving the deadline to January 2027, the authors of the idea propose imposing penalties on European companies that violate the ban. According to MEP Inese Vaidere, possible measures include revoking trading licenses for energy commodities.