Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen has assured that in the future the European Union will no longer import “not even a single molecule of Russian energy,” thus confirming the ban on purchasing natural gas from Russia, which will become fully operational in the autumn of 2027.
THE WORDS OF COMMISSIONER JORGENSEN
“No, in the future we will no longer import even a single molecule of Russian energy,” Jorgensen said during a press conference in Brussels. “Why? Because Putin has used energy as a weapon against member states, because he has used energy to blackmail the member states of the European Union, and finally, because when we buy […] his energy, we also indirectly contribute to supporting the war against our friends in Ukraine. It would therefore be a terrible mistake and we will not change our plans in any way.”
HOW MUCH RUSSIAN GAS DOES THE EUROPEAN UNION IMPORT?
Before Russia invaded Ukraine, the European Union depended on Moscow for over 40 percent of its natural gas imports; last year, however, the Russian share of total community supplies was 13 percent: from over 150 billion cubic meters of gas (mainly by pipeline) purchased in 2021, it dropped to less than 41 billion in 2025.
The decrease is significant, but to date Moscow remains a very important supplier for Brussels. However, purchases should be eliminated by 2027: more precisely, the import ban through short-term contracts will take effect on April 25 for liquefied gas and June 17 for pipeline purchases; for long-term contracts, the ban will start on January 1, 2027 for LNG and September 30, 2027 for pipeline flows.
SPAIN FUELS ITSELF WITH RUSSIAN LNG
To compensate for the loss of fuel supplies caused by the war in the Persian Gulf – Qatar, in particular, had to halt production due to attacks from Iran – the European Union has significantly increased imports of natural gas from Russia, especially liquefied gas.
The European country currently buying the most Russian LNG is Spain: in March it imported 9,807 gigawatt-hours worth 355 million euros, 124 percent more than in February. Ironically, the European Commissioner responsible for implementing the Green Deal is Spanish, Teresa Ribera.
Spain is often presented as a model to follow, including by Italy, due to the composition of its electricity mix: the gas share is around 21 percent (less than half of Italy’s), while renewables account for almost 54 percent, with nuclear adding another 19 percent of low-carbon generation. In Italy, instead, the combined share of wind, solar, and hydroelectric is 40 percent, while gas is above 44 percent.
“WE MUST BE PREPARED FOR ANY SCENARIO”
Referring to the crisis in the Persian Gulf, during the press conference Commissioner Jorgensen explained that “the coming months will be characterized by uncertainties” and that “we must be prepared for any scenario.”
“We will therefore work with member states to fill gas stocks ahead of next winter without creating unnecessary pressures on the markets,” he added. “And we will strengthen actions to ensure that fuel supplies, including those for airplanes, are adequate throughout the Union […]. We will try to maximize existing refining capacity in Europe and will assess the rules on strategic and emergency stocks to see if more can be done.”
THE SITUATION WITH JET FUEL
The European Union is extremely dependent on imports of aircraft fuel (kerosene, essentially), which come 75 percent from the Middle East: the bloc is therefore very exposed to the crisis in the Persian Gulf, to the point that ACI – an industry organization – has warned that European airports risk running out of jet fuel if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened within a few weeks. Moreover, the summer season, when travel peaks, is about to begin.
– Also read: What we know about the EU’s jet fuel plan
THE SITUATION WITH GAS STORAGE
At the end of March Jorgensen had asked member countries to immediately start increasing gas stocks to prevent last-minute competition for supplies with other nations, which could further raise fuel prices or – in the worst case – compromise energy security. Jorgensen had also recommended lowering the storage filling threshold to 80 percent, ten points less than the target set by Brussels after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
According to the latest data provided by GIE, the association of European gas infrastructure operators, the average storage filling level in the Union is around 30 percent. With 46 percent filling, Italy is above average; Spain (59 percent) and Portugal (91 percent) surpass it.
At the bottom of the ranking are the Netherlands, with a filling percentage of 5 percent. Below the European average are also France and Germany, respectively at 28 percent and 24 percent: Germany is the EU country that consumes the most gas, while France – although exposed – is less dependent on it for electricity generation thanks to its vast nuclear fleet.
EUROPEAN MEASURES AGAINST THE ENERGY PRICE SURGE (IN MAY…)
Today the European Commission previewed a package of rules to counter the rise in energy prices caused by the war with Iran: among other things, Brussels intends to ensure that electricity is taxed less than gas and wants to facilitate member states in eliminating electricity taxes for businesses and vulnerable consumers.
The actual legal proposals, however, will be presented in May, but their implementation could prove very complicated: they will have to be approved unanimously by member countries.
