(MENAFN) The European Union is investigating potential legal exceptions that would permit companies to sidestep consequences for terminating long-term natural gas agreements with Russia, based on a report by a news website on Tuesday, which referenced unnamed informants.

This initiative is said to be part of the EU’s broader objective to eliminate its dependence on Russian fossil energy by the year 2027.

Although Russian gas has not been specifically targeted by EU restrictions aimed at Moscow, the Union pledged to reduce its dependence on Russian energy sources following the escalation of the Ukraine crisis in 2022.

Consequently, the proportion of Russian gas transported via pipeline into the EU dropped significantly — from more than 40 percent in 2021 to around 11 percent in 2024.

However, deliveries of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the EU have increased dramatically, with a rise of over 60 percent in the last three years.

Russia’s Yamal LNG facility still upholds agreements with companies such as “Shell” and “Naturgy.”

When combining both pipeline and LNG imports, Russia remained the EU’s second-largest gas supplier in 2024, surpassed only by Norway.

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