Due to a rebound in Russian gas imports throughout 2024, the European Commission has presented a roadmap to ensure that the EU fully ends its dependency on Russian energy, while creating stable energy supplies and prices across the EU.
In 2024, figures revealed that ten EU countries imported 52 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas, three countries imported 13 million tonnes of oil, and seven countries received 2,800 tonnes of enriched uranium for fuel. This dependency on Russian gas starkly contrasted with the previous year’s progress, where the EU saw Russian gas imports fall from 45% to 19%.
The EU decided to reform the existing REPowerEu roadmap to address this issue. Using the foundation created by the original plan launched in 2022, this updated roadmap will outline a coordinated exit from Russian gas, oil, and nuclear imports while maintaining energy security and price stability throughout the EU.
Now, the Commission has proposed nine targeted actions and set key deadlines. By the end of 2025, this plan will require all EU member states to submit national phase-out strategies detailing how they plan to remove any Russian energy imports.
The plan will also introduce a ban on Russian gas under new and spot market contracts by the same deadline at the end of 2025, committing to end imports under all remaining long-term gas contracts by the end of 2027.
The updated roadmap will also include trade measures targeting Russian enriched uranium, implementing new nuclear supply agreements limitations, and imposing sanctions on vessels transporting oil suspected of illicit activities. To support these changes, a European Radioisotopes Valley Initiative will be introduced to diversify the nuclear fuel supply and build more domestic capacity to prepare the energy system for long-term change.
These measures will form a broader push to strengthen the EU’s energy independence, enhance economic security, and accelerate Europe’s transition to clean energy. By phasing out Russian imports, the roadmap offers a structured path toward a cleaner and independent energy system, which not only boosts the European economy but also helps their decarbonization ambitions.