Poland will not issue temporary permits for Russian pipeline gas imports under the new European Union rules, mainly because it has no contracts that could qualify for such an exception. The country is therefore staying outside the bloc’s special gas import regime.
The EU ban, which entered into force on 17 June, covers Russian gas transported by pipelines on the basis of short-term agreements signed before 17 June 2025. The measure is part of a broader strategy to strip Russian energy raw materials from the European market.
– We are consistently eliminating the remaining sources of Russian gas from our energy system. Our goal is a complete end to imports – said Dan Jørgensen, European Commissioner for Energy, on social media.
The legal foundation for the move is the REPowerEU regulation, which contains binding deadlines for the gradual withdrawal of both Russian pipeline gas and Russian liquefied natural gas from the EU. Current rules allow Russian-produced gas to enter the bloc only through temporary permits, and those permits can be granted exclusively for contracts concluded before 17 June 2025.
Permit system is irrelevant for Poland
In Poland’s case, that mechanism simply does not apply. The country has no binding contracts for deliveries of Russian gas, so the authorities are not planning to grant any authorisations. Warsaw therefore remains outside the new EU permit framework without needing special treatment.
REPowerEU also requires prior approval for imports of natural gas from third countries, although Russia is excluded from that procedure. Certain deliveries are exempt from the approval requirement, as specified in the regulation.
2027 deadlines and Russia’s market position
The next major change is scheduled for 1 January 2027, when long-term contracts for Russian LNG imports will be banned. Long-term agreements for Russian pipeline gas must be terminated no later than 30 September 2027, with a possible extension to 1 November for member states that encounter problems filling their storage facilities before the heating season.
According to the International Energy Agency, Russia will probably not regain the leading position on the global gas market that it held before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. That assessment suggests the current restrictions may mark a lasting shift in trade flows, not merely a temporary interruption.
Source: wnp.pl, Photo: Shutterstock/Jordi C
