BRUSSELS, June 4. /TASS/. France and Belgium are refusing to endorse the EU’s plan to ban imports of pipeline and liquefied natural gas from Russia under existing contracts by the end of 2027, the European Politico edition said.
Representatives of French and Belgian governments told the newspaper that they need "more reassurances on the economic and legal consequences of the move before making a decision." Spain and the Netherlands supported Brussels' plan, Politico added.
"Getting all four countries on board will be crucial for the European Commission <...> as it seeks support for its proposal, which is expected next month," the paper wrote. Hungary and Slovakia are likely to try to derail the ban, keen to keep pumping in Russian energy. That said, numerous politicians and industry figures are calling for a return to Russian energy after the end of the conflict in Ukraine, given Europe’s high power bills and struggling economy, according to the publication.
Earlier, the European Commission (EC) unveiled its plan to phase out supplies of Russian energy resources, including gas, oil and nuclear fuel, to EU countries by the end of 2027. The roadmap stated the intention to ban new deals on import of Russian gas and spot contracts by the end of 2025. The EC also wants to ban import of pipeline gas and LNG from Russia under existing contracts by the end of 2027.
In May 2022, the European Union launched the REPowerEU program to eliminate Europe’s reliance on Russian gas by 2027. Meanwhile, the cost of Russian LNG imports for the EU has nearly quadrupled in three years due to rising prices and increased supply volumes. Before 2022, the European Union purchased 40% of gas from Russia, by 2023 this share had decreased to around 15%, though in 2024 it started growing again, having reached almost 19%, which courted fierce criticism from Brussels.