EU falls behind on plan to wean itself off Russian oil and gas

The European Union has not successfully reduced its reliance on Russian oil and gas, according to auditors at the European Court of Auditors (ECA). The REPowerEU initiative, introduced in 2022, aimed to develop renewable energy sources, enhance energy grid connections, and diversify energy supplies. However, EU nations have only allocated 54.3 billion euros out of the 300 billion euros set aside for REPowerEU projects.

Four years after its inception, the initiative appears to have stalled. Despite EU imports of Russian oil and gas decreasing significantly from 153.2 billion cubic meters in 2021 to 37.8 billion in 2024, auditors argue this decline is primarily due to milder winters and higher energy prices rather than the success of REPowerEU. Some countries, like Belgium, have continued to purchase Russian energy resources aggressively.

Belgium's imports surged from 2.4 billion cubic meters in 2021 to 3.4 billion in 2024, peaking at 4 billion in 2023, and it became fully dependent on Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies by July 2026 due to disruptions from the war in Iran. One reason REPowerEU has lagged is that individual countries lack specific plans to access the funding.

To utilize the program's funds, they must revise their national energy and climate plans, but many do not outline specific measures or targets. An EU-wide ban on Russian LNG imports is set to commence in January 2027.