The European Parliament is considering proposals to allow the European Union to phase out Russian gas a year earlier than planned, in January 2027.

Axar.az reports, citing documents containing amendments by lawmakers to the European Commission proposal.

Last month, the European Commission submitted to the parliament a proposal to phase out all imports of Russian gas by January 1, 2028. This proposal will form the legal basis for the formation of an additional initiative to gradually accelerate gas extraction. Under the new proposal, the European Union will begin to phase out new and short-term contracts in January 2026.

European diplomats say it is difficult for governments to support bringing the ban forward by a year. However, lawmakers could use this demand as a "leverage" for other changes. For example, the authors of the initiative propose imposing fines for companies that violate the ban, including revoking their energy trading licenses.