Brussels plans to ban Russian gas, importers must prove origin

The European Union is preparing stricter regulations to prevent Russian gas from entering its market after the planned ban, which is to come into force by the end of 2027 at the latest. According to the proposal by Denmark, which currently holds the presidency of the Council of the EU, importers must prove that the gas they import does not originate from Russia, reports the Bloomberg agency.

Particular attention is being paid to the TurkStream gas pipeline, which connects Russia with Southeast Europe and whose supplies would automatically be considered Russian unless clear evidence of another origin is provided.

The proposal is intended to prevent so-called swap transactions, in which Russian gas is disguised as coming from another source. Shorter contracts are to expire by June 2026, long-term contracts by the end of 2027, with exceptions for landlocked countries such as Hungary and Slovakia.

Denmark aims to reach an agreement between member states as early as October and then negotiate a final compromise with the European Parliament.

(mja)