Razom We Stand, together with the Climate Action Network Europe (CAN-E) and Bond Beter Leefmilieu (BBL), call on the EU to adopt a strong Regulation that puts an end to the imports of Russian fossil fuels into the EU, which keep financing the Kremlin’s brutal war against Ukraine. The EU Regulation, which is currently being negotiated, should be aligned with the 19th EU sanctions package, which includes a ban on Russian LNG imports starting from 1 January 2027 for long-term contracts. We also call for the adoption of additional measures to close loopholes and comprehensively prevent Russian oil and gas from entering the EU market. These recommendations build on the joint NGO letter submitted on 17 November, which was endorsed by over 30 European civil society organisations.

While a final decision is expected by the end of this year, Razom We Stand calls on the EU to adopt the European Parliament’s more ambitious position to finally put an end to the EU’s dependence on Russian gas. Razom We Stand also calls for a ban on all Russian fossil fuels by January 2027, rather than 2028, and warns that the softer position from the EU Member States would bring Moscow an additional €29 billion between 2026 and 2028, which could finance nearly a million drones used by Russia in its aggressive war.

In particular, Razom We Stand calls for:

• Limiting the list of “trusted countries” as proposed by the European Parliament, to those countries that have an explicit legal ban on Russian gas such as the UK and Norway. The submitted recommendations gather detailed examples on how Qatari, Nigerian and Algerian exemptions could create threats for the EU in terms of Russian gas white-washing or energy security.
• Preserve the European Parliament’s strong penalties, including the 5% minimum threshold for the administrative fines, to prevent fraud and guarantee the effective enforcement of the Regulation.
• Delete the “security of supply” suspension clause since it undermines the purpose of the Regulation by permitting a temporary return to Russian gas and reopening the door to political blackmail.
• Maintain and strengthen national diversification plans for oil and gas and ensure they are public. It is crucial to keep these plans to ensure transparency, accountability and coordinated phase-out efforts across the EU. The national diversification plans, in particular those for oil, should include concrete milestones and legally binding timelines.

The message is clear: faster and tougher action on REPowerEU will weaken the Kremlin’s war machine and strengthen the EU’s energy independence, free from blood-stained Russian oil and gas.