The European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) explained in its latest report that European Union countries cannot currently completely dispense with liquefied natural gas from Russia. This is due to the presence of long-term contracts that were signed before the war in Ukraine, and the possibility of losing gas supplies via pipelines with the expiration of the transportation contract through Ukraine at the end of 2024.

Instead of imposing a comprehensive ban, the agency recommends a gradual reduction in LNG imports from Russia, while emphasizing the need to ensure the security of gas supplies at the same time.

It is proposed to start by reducing spot imports, while allowing member states to unilaterally block Russian gas from reaching their gas systems, without the need to impose comprehensive EU sanctions.

On the other hand, Spain, as the largest importer of liquefied natural gas in the European Union, calls for more stringent coordination at the Union level regarding dealing with Russian gas imports.

The agency's report indicates that the path to abandoning Russian gas will be gradual and careful, taking into account energy security and the needs of European Union member states. Whereas the European Union's plans aim to completely end its dependence on Russian oil products by 2027; Which could lead to the European Union losing 13.6 billion cubic meters of natural gas supplies.

The difficulty of dispensing with Russian gas in the short term is an incentive for the European Union to search for alternatives, such as increasing investments in renewable energy sources and enhancing energy efficiency.