In the press release from the European Council, it is noted that "this regulation represents an important step towards the implementation of the REPowerEU program aimed at reducing Europe's dependence on Russian energy resources."
The decision was made at a ministerial meeting on Monday, although Slovakia and Hungary expressed their disagreement, as reported by Reuters.
The initial draft of the document was presented in early December 2025. It stipulates that in exceptional cases, EU countries may extend the use of Russian gas until October 31, 2027, if the reserves in their storage facilities fall below a critical level.
