The EU Council on Tuesday approved gas market reform, which is expected to allow the suspension of natural gas supplies, including LNG, from the Russian Federation and Belarus from 2026.
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The resolution and directive “on internal markets for renewable gas, natural gas and hydrogen” approved on Tuesday, in particular, states that “after this date (December 31, 2025), the European Commission should be able to temporarily exclude supplies of natural gas from the Russian Federation and Belarus, as well as LNG from facilities located (in the Russian Federation and Belarus), for a period of up to one year, which can be extended if justified.”
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Such bans may be motivated by the “protection of key security interests or security of supply of the EU or a Member State.”
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The document also stipulates that restrictions should not violate the security of gas supplies to the EU market and individual member states, respect the principles of energy solidarity and not violate obligations to third states.
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The EU gas market regulation and directive approved on Tuesday will now be signed and published in the Union’s Official Journal. The resolution will come into force six months after publication. As regards the directive, member states will have two years to adapt their national legislation to its provisions.
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Belgium previously stated that it does not yet know whether it should refuse to import Russian liquefied gas after a new European directive is adopted. According to the country’s Energy Minister Tinne van der Straten, such decisions can only be made jointly within the framework of common EU policy.
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Last December, the EU Council and the European Parliament reached a preliminary agreement on a new regulation for the internal energy market, which sets a number of common rules for the European market for renewable energy, natural gas and hydrogen, in particular, it was reported that the rules would allow EU countries to introduce supply restrictions natural gas, including LNG, from Russia and Belarus. In April of this year, a package of laws was approved by the European Parliament at a plenary session.
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The new legislation will also include measures to promote the introduction of renewable and low-carbon gases (hydrogen and biomethane) into the European energy market and will help reduce the use of fossil fuels. It also aims to expand the existing mechanism for aggregating supply and joint procurement of natural gas by EU countries. This mechanism does not provide for the purchase of Russian fuel.
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This bill was introduced by the European Commission in December 2021 as part of the “Fit for 55” climate neutrality package, which aims to modernize EU climate and energy legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the community by at least 55% by 2030 and European Union to a climate neutral zone by 2050.
