1Regulation (EU) 2026/261 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 January 2026 on phasing out Russian natural gas imports and preparing the phase-out of Russian oil imports, improving monitoring of potential energy dependencies and amending Regulation (EU) 2017/1938

Article 3 shall apply from 18 March 2026, except where otherwise specified in Article 4.

Article 5 shall apply from 18 February 2026.

This Regulation is without prejudice to the application of the prohibition related to LNG established in Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 which shall apply and be complied with regardless of the provisions of this Regulation.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 26 January 2026.

For the European Parliament

The President

R. Metsola

For the Council

The President

M. Raouna

Annex

ANNEX I

Template for national diversification plans for natural gas

This template is designed for national authorities drafting a national diversification plan as provided for in Article 9. It shall include the following:

General information

Name of the authority responsible for the preparation of the plan

Description of the gas system. It should include a description of:

(i) the gas demand;

(ii) the supply mix considering the dependence on Russian supply.

Main information about the import of natural gas that originates in or is exported, directly or indirectly, from the Russian Federation to the Member State

Reference of the individual contracts as communicated by the importers to the competent authorities and the CommissionWhere applicable, LNG terminal services booked by companies or affiliated undertakings from the Russian Federation

Overall contracted quantities of natural gas that originates in or is exported, directly or indirectly, from the Russian Federation for delivery in the Member State

Contractual flexibilities and point of delivery (interconnection point, import point, LNG terminal, etc.)

Description of the measures to replace natural gas that originates in or is exported, directly or indirectly, from the Russian Federation

The description shall include the following elements:

Diversification options:

(i) alternative supplies;

(ii) alternative supply routes;

(iii) demand aggregation

Description of the measure and its objectives, including quantities expected to be phased out and intermediate steps in the case of a multi-stage measureImplementation timelineImpact of the measures on the energy system, including on flow patterns, infrastructure capacities, tariffs, etc.Impact on neighbouring Member States

Technical, contractual or regulatory barriers to replacing natural gas that originates in or is exported, directly or indirectly, from the Russian Federation

Such measures may include the use of the Aggregate EU Platform pursuant to Article 42 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1789, support measures for diversification efforts of energy companies, cooperation in regional groups such as the Central and South-Eastern Europe Energy Connectivity (CESEC) High-Level Group, identifying alternatives to natural gas imports via electrification, energy efficiency measures, boosting the production of biogas, biomethane and clean hydrogen, renewable energy deployment or voluntary demand reduction measures.

Technical, contractual or regulatory barriersOptions to overcome barriers, and timelineCategoryReplacement of volumes for the phase-outInformation required