On the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on phasing out Russian natural gas imports, improving monitoring of… potential energy dependencies and amending Regulation (EU) 2017/1938

This proposal for a Regulation on the phasing out of Russian natural gas, the improvement of monitoring of potential energy dependencies, and the amendment of Regulation (EU) 2017/1938 represents a very necessary advancement within the REPowerEU plan. It reflects the conviction of the co-rapporteurs that the European Union must not allow itself to remain dependent on unreliable external energy supplier. Ensuring the Union’s energy independence is essential to safeguarding its economic stability and strategic resilience.

Russia has shown itself to be an unreliable partner, treating energy not as a commodity for fair trade but as a tool for manipulation. It cannot be trusted in the future as a trade partner in energy.

The co-rapporteurs welcome the initiative, particularly, the proposal to permanently ban the import of Russian gas through a formal legislative process – an objective the European Parliament has consistently supported through various calls and initiatives. The proposed framework contributes meaningfully to the Union’s objective of gradually eliminating all Russian energy imports from the EU market, while enhancing collective awareness and oversight of potential vulnerabilities stemming from external energy dependencies. However, the co-rapporteurs also highlight areas where the proposal could be further enhanced.

Given the complexity of the legislative file, the co-rapporteurs refrain from submitting joint amendments at this early drafting stage and will elaborate their proposals in due course.

Some of the key priorities that the co-rapporteurs share are the following. First, setting clear and ambitious dates for the phase-out of Russian energy imports. The deadline for phasing out Russian gas should be considered for shortening by one year, to 1 January 2027. The global LNG supply is set to grow rapidly, in the next few years massively exceeding current imports of Russian gas. Moreover, the EU demand for gas is on a steady downward path although gas consumption has remained relatively stable in 2024. Thus, only a small part of the Russian gas imports would need to be replaced with alternative suppliers.

The co-rapporteurs welcome the Commission’s proposal to discontinue not only gas but also oil imports, proposing to establish the National diversification plans leading to Member States achieving this goal.

Finally, it is critical that the regulation remains robust and that the regulation’s goal – to eliminate reliance on an untrustworthy trade partner for the sake of supply security – must not be compromised or its legal strength weakened. The co-rapporteurs concur that any provisions introducing ambiguity or potentially undermining the overall objective should be revised or omitted.

This regulation is, in the view of the co-rapporteurs, not merely a technical exercise, but a reflection of a broader and deeper belief: that the European Union must take decisive steps to protect its interests, reinforce its independence, intra-EU solidarity and ensure that no third country can exert undue influence over its energy supply, unduly distort trade and, by extension, its economy and security.

DECLARATION OF INPUT FROM INESE VAIDERE

Pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure, the rapporteur declares that she included in her report input on matters pertaining to the subject of the file that she received, in the preparation of the draft report, from the following interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register, or from the following representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies:

The list above is drawn up under the exclusive responsibility of the rapporteur.

Where natural persons are identified in the list by their name, by their function or by both, the rapporteur declares that he has submitted to the natural persons concerned the European Parliament's Data Protection Notice No 484 (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/data-protect/index.do), which sets out the conditions applicable to the processing of their personal data and the rights linked to that processing.

DECLARATION OF INPUT FROM VILLE NIINISTÖ

Pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure, the rapporteur declares that he included in his report input on matters pertaining to the subject of the file that he received, in the preparation of the draft report, from the following interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register, or from the following representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies:

The list above is drawn up under the exclusive responsibility of the rapporteur.

Where natural persons are identified in the list by their name, by their function or by both, the rapporteur declares that he has submitted to the natural persons concerned the European Parliament's Data Protection Notice No 484 (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/data-protect/index.do), which sets out the conditions applicable to the processing of their personal data and the rights linked to that processing.