The EU Energy Council is discussing a gradual phase-out of Russian energy imports, which member states continue to purchase. It was announced by Deputy Chief Spokesperson Stefan de Keersmaecker at the European Commission’s daily briefing.
The spokesperson recalled that on June 16, a meeting of the EU Energy Council is taking place in Luxembourg.
“The discussions will focus on the EU’s plans to gradually phase out Russian energy resources, energy security, and the nuclear energy program approved by the European Commission,” he said.
As reported, the European Commission presented a roadmap for completely stopping Russian gas imports by the end of 2027, as well as minimizing Russian oil imports.
The plan set out measures to phase out Russian fossil fuels, while speeding up the clean energy transition with more emphasis on renewable energy, energy efficiency and saving energy.
In parallel, the EU continues to roll out renewable energy. Almost half of electricity in the EU now comes from renewables (47%).
The EU has also revised its rules on energy efficiency. EU countries agreed to further reduce their energy consumption by additional 11.7% by 2030 and create incentives for more energy-efficient buildings, supported by EU financing.
Imports of Russian gas dropped from 150 billion cubic meters (bcm) in 2021 to 52 bcm in 2024 – with the share of Russian gas imports falling from 45% to 19%
However, the EU is still importing Russian sources of energy, with revenues fuelling Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. As a response, the Commission published a REPowerEU Roadmap on 6 May 2025, announcing measures to cut off remaining gas, oil and nuclear imports from Russia in a gradual and coordinated way.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó criticized this plan, calling it an attack on Hungary’s sovereignty. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico also spoke out against it. Both are known for their pro-Russian stance.
According to media reports, France and Belgium, the two largest buyers of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG), also have reservations.
Supporters of a complete rejection of Russian gas and oil emphasize that profits from the sale of energy resources help the Kremlin finance its war against Ukraine and hybrid actions against Europe.
