EU to Present a Roadmap in May for the Phase-out of all Russian Fossil Fuel Imports

Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, said that in two weeks it will present a roadmap outlining how it plans to eliminate all Russian fossil fuel imports. She made this announcement at a London energy event on Thursday.

In response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the European Commission has committed to stop using Russian fossil fuels before 2027.

Von der Leyen, speaking at a UK government-sponsored meeting with the International Energy Agency, said that although imports of Russian natural gas had dropped to 18%, they still needed to fall further.

The supply gap was largely filled by the increased exports of LNG from the United States, and the increase of gas from Norway.

She said that "these energy partnerships, which include imports of LNG (liquefied natural gas) from the United States," remain strategic for the European Union.

The U.S. president Donald Trump said that he wanted the EU to purchase more American gas, and EU officials view this as a possible negotiating chip when it comes to tariff negotiations.

The Commission is currently evaluating various legal tools that could be included in the roadmap. The Commission is evaluating various legal tools to include in the roadmap.

Von der Leyen didn't confirm the publication date in her speech. However, a separate agenda of the Commission shows that it will be on the 6th May. (Reporting from Susanna Twidale and Kate Abnett, London; editing by William James.)

(source: Reuters)