A coalition of European Parliament members has called for a ban on Russian energy imports into the European Union, including both pipeline-transferred gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG).
In a letter addressed to the heads of European institutions, the coalition, comprising 60 legislators from the European Parliament, emphasized that “the time for half-measures has passed,” urging for more stringent actions against Russian energy exports to severely impact Russia’s economy.
The coalition also urged the European Commission and member states to promptly adopt a comprehensive ban on Russian energy products within the EU market.
The legislators pointed out that Europe “remains the biggest client for Russian pipeline gas and LNG,” referencing a study conducted in January 2024 by the Finnish non-profit organization CREA. The study estimates that the EU has paid over 13 billion euros for its gas imports from Russia since the 2022 oil ban, which was imposed following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
European Parliament members highlighted that continuing trade with Moscow, especially in light of “the incredibly brutal and cynical killing of Russia’s bravest freedom fighter,” opposition figure Alexei Navalny, is “inappropriate, morally wrong, and a strategic blindness.”
The letter, signed by members of various nationalities and political backgrounds (center-right, center-left, liberals, conservatives, and greens), is directed at the heads of EU institutions as well as the foreign and energy ministers of member states.
In December 2023, a European law was unofficially adopted as part of the “EU Gas and Hydrogen Market Governance Reform Agreement,” allowing EU countries to determine the amount of Russian gas and LNG allowed into their territories. This law is expected to come into effect as early as mid-2024, leaving it to each EU country to make this decision. However, countries like Hungary, Slovakia, and Austria may be unable or simply unwilling to reduce Russian gas flows.
