Core Points - The EU Council has agreed to support a plan to ban imports of Russian natural gas starting January 1, 2028, due to the weaponization of gas supplies by Russia [1][3] - The EU remains the largest importer of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG), having purchased nearly €5 billion worth in the first half of 2025, an increase of €1 billion compared to the same period last year [1] - Hungary and Slovakia are the only EU countries opposing the ban, citing concerns over energy security and the challenges of finding alternative gas sources [3][4] Summary by Sections Ban Implementation - The first phase of the ban will start on January 1, 2026, with a grace period for existing contracts: short-term contracts signed before June 17, 2025, can be fulfilled until June 17, 2026, while long-term contracts can continue until January 1, 2028 [3] - The proposed regulation is part of the EU's REPowerEU roadmap aimed at ending dependency on Russian energy [3] Financial Implications - The ban is expected to significantly reduce Russia's energy revenue, which has been used to fund military actions against Ukraine, potentially decreasing revenue by billions of euros [3] Member State Responses - Estonia's Foreign Minister welcomed the agreement, emphasizing that it sends a clear message that invaders have no place in the European energy market [3] - Hungary's Foreign Minister criticized the plan, arguing it undermines energy security and disregards the specific needs of landlocked countries [4] Monitoring and Compliance - The EU will implement a pre-authorization system for gas imports, requiring non-Russian gas to submit information five days in advance, while Russian gas must be submitted at least one month in advance [5] - A monitoring mechanism will be established to prevent Russian gas from being rerouted to other markets through Europe [4][5]
称俄罗斯将天然气供应“武器化”，欧盟推动全面终止进口俄天然气
Sou Hu Cai Jing·2025-10-21 13:37