EU energy ministers to discuss import bans on Russian energy
The EU’s energy ministers will meet in Luxembourg on 16 June 2025 to discuss the roadmap towards ending Russian energy imports and to approve conclusions on strengthening the energy union by reinforcing energy security. Finland will be represented by Minister of Climate and the Environment Sari Multala.
Discussion on the roadmap towards ending Russian energy imports
In response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the Commission launched the REPowerEU Plan in spring 2022. The Plan aims to reduce Europe’s dependence on Russian energy by enhancing energy efficiency, increasing the production of renewable energy and diversifying energy supplies. Since then, the EU has adopted 17 sanction packages banning imports of coal and oil from Russia and the reloading of cargo carrying Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) in EU ports. While the EU has managed to reduce its dependence on Russian energy, it has not been successful in ending it completely.
The energy ministers will discuss the Commission’s plan to phase out Russian imported energy, i.e. imports of natural gas, petroleum products, nuclear fuels and their fuel material. The objective is to remove Russian energy from EU markets.
The Government submitted a Europe Communication on the matter to Parliament on 13 June. Finland welcomes the plan as a step towards completely ending the use of Russian fossil energy. This is necessary to ensure the security of energy supply in the EU, to combat the use of energy as an instrument of warfare and to prevent Russia from financing its invasion of Ukraine.
Finland no longer imports petroleum products or natural gas from Russia. Finland also has a positive view of the European restrictions on LNG. Finland is currently drafting an act to ban imports of Russian gas enabled by the EU’s Gas Regulation.
The Commission also proposes measures within nuclear energy, recognising the challenges involved and therefore recommending gradual progress. Because of the bottlenecks in the Western production capacity, dependence on Russian nuclear fuel services is still relatively high.
Finland welcomes the EU’s measures concerning nuclear fuel. It is important that the measures are implemented in a coordinated and gradual manner. The transition of European operators to new supply channels must happen in a way that does not endanger nuclear safety and security of supply. The effects on the market should also be taken into account.
To comprehensively deploy, license and supervise the deployment phase of a new nuclear fuel is a long process. In Finland, this process has already began with Fortum loading nuclear fuel in its Loviisa reactor that has been produced at the Westinghouse plant in Sweden.
Conclusions on strengthening the energy union by improving energy security
The ministers are also expected to adopt Council conclusions on strengthening the energy union through reinforcing energy security. The conclusions focus on the EU’s energy policy strategies in the changed geopolitical environment, especially since Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
Enhancing security of supply and securing access to clean and affordable energy throughout the European Union will be highlighted in the conclusions.
The conclusions are acceptable to Finland. In the negotiations, Finland has emphasised the importance of EU funding for the protection, resilience and repair capacity of critical underwater infrastructure, which has been considered in the conclusions.
Inquiries:
Riku Huttunen, Director General, Minister of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 50 431 6518 Elina Johansson, Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 50 301 4607
Sanna Ek-Husson, Senior Specialist, Permanent Representation of Finland, Brussels, tel. +32 470 206 178