The European Union has approved its 19th package of sanctions against Russia, introducing a phased ban on imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) and expanding measures targeting maritime logistics and diplomatic travel.
Confirmation came from the Danish presidency of the Council after the final reservation from a member state was lifted on Wednesday, 22 October. A written procedure has been launched, with formal adoption expected if no objections are lodged.
Under the new measures, the LNG restrictions will take effect in two stages. Short-term contracts are to be wound down within six months of the package’s adoption. Long-term contracts will cease on 1 January 2027. The timeline brings forward the EU’s disengagement from Russian fossil fuels relative to the Commission’s existing roadmap.
The approval followed the lifting of objections by Slovakia, which had sought assurances on energy affordability and on aligning climate policy with the needs of energy-intensive industry and car manufacturing. Slovak concerns were addressed in language to be incorporated into the European Council’s conclusions, clearing the way for agreement among the 27 member states.
Procedurally, the package is advancing by written procedure. According to the Danish presidency, the measures will be deemed adopted at 08:00 in Brussels on Thursday if no member state objects before the deadline. This mechanism has been used frequently for time-sensitive EU sanctions decisions.
Beyond LNG, the package tightens maritime enforcement by adding 117 vessels—mostly tankers—linked to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” to the EU’s listings, bringing the total number of designated ships to 558. The aim is to constrain logistics used to transport Russian energy and other sanctioned goods. The package also introduces new travel restrictions on Russian diplomats.
The LNG provisions complement broader EU energy policy moves tabled this month to reduce and ultimately end Russian gas imports. Member states have recently agreed negotiating positions on legislation to phase out remaining Russian gas supplies under the REPowerEU framework. The sanctions timeline for LNG aligns with those efforts while setting a specific end-date for long-term LNG contracts.
The phased approach is intended to give energy companies and network operators a defined period to unwind contractual exposures and reconfigure supply portfolios. In practice, the six-month window for short-term deals will push spot and short-dated term purchases to zero during the first half of 2026, while the 1 January 2027 cut-off ends legacy long-term commitments. Market participants will need to adjust nominations, shipping schedules and terminal capacity bookings accordingly.
Since 2022, EU sanctions have progressively targeted Russian hydrocarbons, refined products logistics and associated services such as shipping insurance. LNG, however, had remained a residual channel in several member states’ supply mixes. The latest measures aim to close that channel on a defined schedule while preserving system stability during the transition. The Commission’s roadmap envisages national plans by end-2025 detailing how each member state will contribute to phasing out Russian oil, gas and nuclear energy; today’s sanctions accelerate one element of that strategy.
The maritime listings expand earlier actions against vessels suspected of sanctions circumvention and opaque ownership structures. Listing restricts EU persons from providing funds or economic resources to the named ships and can affect access to EU ports and services. Enforcement remains coordinated through member states’ competent authorities, with the Council able to add or remove vessels as evidence evolves.
Diplomatic travel restrictions form part of a broader effort to limit official Russian representation and movement within the bloc, complementing previous expulsions and visa measures adopted since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Council’s legal acts will set out the precise scope once the written procedure concludes.
The package—number nineteen since 2022—reflects continuing unanimity among member states on sanctions policy, while illustrating the bargaining typical of EU decision-making where national energy and industrial interests are at stake. Its immediate market impact will depend on how quickly European buyers replace remaining Russian LNG volumes with alternative supply, storage withdrawals, demand-side measures, or additional pipeline and LNG imports from non-Russian sources.
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