Since June 17, European Union rules banning Russian pipeline gas imports under short-term supply contracts have been in force. Poland, which has no such contracts, will not use the temporary permit mechanism introduced by Brussels.
The ban was imposed through the REPowerEU regulation and is part of a wider plan to end Russian energy imports. EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen commented: – We are consistently eliminating the remaining sources of Russian gas from our energy system. Our goal is to end imports completely – said Dan Jørgensen.
The new restrictions hit contracts signed before June 17, 2025. They do not yet cover all Russian deliveries, but they mark another stage in the bloc’s move away from Russian fossil fuels, with liquefied natural gas also in the crosshairs.
Poland outside the temporary permit system
The EU rules allow temporary permits for gas produced in Russia, but only for contracts concluded before June 17, 2025. In Poland’s case, this mechanism is irrelevant because the country has no active agreements for Russian gas supplies. Polish authorities have also made clear they will not issue any such authorisations.
REPowerEU also requires prior approval for natural gas imports from outside the EU, while certain deliveries are exempt from that obligation. The same regulation set the timetable for phasing out Russian gas, including separate milestones for pipeline gas and LNG.
What happens next: LNG ban and contract deadlines
From January 1, 2027, long-term contracts for importing Russian LNG will be banned. Long-term agreements for Russian pipeline gas must be terminated by September 30, 2027. The deadline could be moved to November 1 in exceptional cases, if member states have problems filling storage facilities before the heating season.
The International Energy Agency expects that Russia will most likely not regain the dominant position on the global gas market that it held before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. Shutterstock/Jordi C
