EU to Entirely End Russian Energy Imports by 2027 [Updated]

On the 6th of May 2025, the European Commission reiterated its commitment to phasing out Russian energy imports across the continent by introducing a new REPowerEU roadmap. REPowerEU was initially launched in May 2022 in response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, aiming to help the EU diversify energy supplies and accelerate the deployment of renewable energy, thereby pivoting away from fossil fuels.

This new roadmap has been introduced as the previous version of REPowerEU was perceived as falling short of expectations. Despite significant efforts to reduce the bloc’s reliance on Russian energy, including 16 sanctions packages that effectively banned Russian coal and crude oil imports (from 27% to 3% of total EU consumption) and reduced gas demand by 65%, 10 member states continued to import Russian energy:

• 52 billion cubic meters of gas.
• 13 million tonnes of crude oil.
• 2800+ tonnes of uranium in enriched or fuel form.

The Commission noted that the resulting revenues continue to “fuel [Russia’s] war machine and endanger stability on the continent.”

The new roadmap will require member states to prepare national plans by the end of 2025, outlining their contributions to phasing out imports of Russian gas, oil, and nuclear energy. These national measures will be supported by continuous efforts from the Commission to accelerate the EU’s energy transition and diversify energy supplies.

On Russian Gas

Currently, Russian gas still accounts for approximately 13% of the EU’s total gas imports. The new roadmap proposes improving the transparency, monitoring, and traceability of Russian gas across EU markets. New contracts with suppliers of Russian gas (both pipeline and LNG) will be prevented, and existing spot contracts will be stopped by the end of 2025. The Commission anticipates that by the end of 2025, the EU will have reduced remaining supplies of Russian gas by one third. The Commission aims to cease all remaining imports of Russian gas by the end of 2027.

On Russian Oil

Under the roadmap, the Commission will also propose new actions to address Russia’s “shadow fleet” used for transporting oil. Additionally, it will support Slovakia and Hungary, the last remaining importers, in progressively replacing Russian oil and securing alternative suppliers, particularly given that Russian oil currently represents over 80% of their total oil imports. While formerly a major importer of Russian oil, Czechia is now capable of replacing its Russian oil supplies with alternative sources, thanks to the completion of the TAL-PLUS project. This pipeline connects the country and its oil refineries with the port of Trieste, Italy, where crude oil is delivered.

On Russian Nuclear Energy

The roadmap will also feature measures concerning 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 originating from Russia. A European Radioisotopes Valley Initiative is also envisioned to secure the EU’s supply of medical radioisotopes through increased domestic production.