Phase out of Russian gas imports

The EU Parliament has adopted a regulation to permanently end the import of Russian natural gas into the EU. The new law is intended to protect the EU from security policy and economic risks caused by one-sided energy dependencies. Specifically, the regulation provides for the ban on spot market deliveries of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG). These are short-term energy transactions in which gas is delivered immediately or within a few days. Long-term pipeline gas imports from Russia are to be phased out completely by September 30, 2027 at the latest. In addition, member states should be obliged to set sanctions against market participants who violate the ban and to draw up national diversification plans to secure energy supplies. The background is the repeated instrumentalization of energy exports by Russia, especially since the attack on Ukraine in 2022, which has led to delivery cuts, market distortions and sharply rising energy prices in Europe. The regulation is therefore intended not only to secure energy supplies, but also to strengthen the EU's strategic independence and resilience. Attention: The voting results shown on the right only reflect the voting behavior of the 96 German MEPs and not that of all 720 MEPs. Overall, the new regulations were approved with 500 votes in favor, 120 against, and 32 abstentions. Of the German MEPs, 66 voted for and 24 against. There was one abstention from Sebastian Everding (The Left).

Vote breakdown