We use cookies to improve your browsing experience. Necessary cookies are required to support essential features of the Council's website. Optional cookies help us produce anonymous and aggregated statistical reports to better serve your needs.
With your permission, we will use cookies to produce aggregated, anonymous data about our visitors' browsing and behaviour on our website. We will use this data to improve your experience on our website.
Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council (Energy), 20 October 2025
Main results
REPowerEU regulation
EU energy ministers reached an agreement (‘general approach’) on the proposal to phase out remaining gas imports from Russia. The regulation applies to both pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) and is a key milestone towards ending Russian energy imports.
With overwhelming support for today's agreement, we are sending a clear signal: Europe refuses to be vulnerable to energy blackmail. By phasing out Russian gas imports, we are strengthening our collective energy security and taking a decisive step towards true strategic independence and a clean energy transition.
Lars Aagaard, minister for the climate, energy and utilities of Denmark
The regulation introduces a legally binding ban on Russian pipeline gas and LNG, with a phased implementation: Already next year the ban will have effect on short-term contracts, and the full import ban will come into effect by 1 January 2028. Member states also agreed to tighten controls on gas origin and ensure compliance through prior authorisation procedures. At the same time, they simplified procedures for gas coming from third countries meeting specific criteria, such as being major gas producers and exporters, having already banned Russian gas imports or having no infrastructure capable of importing gas.
The Council presidency can now start negotiations with the European Parliament to agree on the final text of the legislation.
Electrification as a driver of a competitive and clean transition
Ministers also discussed the role of electrification to ensure the EU’s competitive and clean transition. The discussion will feed into the future electrification action plan that the European Commission is expected to present in early 2026.
Ministers welcomed the Commission’s intention to launch the action plan and focused on the opportunities and challenges in order to ensure efficient electrification, including its potential to accelerate decarbonisation across key sectors with a focus on especially the potential for electrification of industry. They also considered how to ensure the availability and utilisation of the necessary infrastructure and technologies to support this transition.
Key topics of discussion included how the EU could create the right framework to incentivise industrial electrification while allowing industries to respond flexibly to price signals and demand, which sectors offered the greatest potential for rapid electrification and how those sectors could be supported under the electrification action plan.
Professor of energy policy Jan Rosenow from Oxford University presented his perspectives to the ministers to kick off the exchange.
How is EU electricity produced and sold? (infographic)
Energy security and resilience in Ukraine and Moldova
In the context of Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine and its wider impacts in the region, ministers exchanged views on how to best support the energy security and resilience in Ukraine and Moldova ahead of the upcoming winter season. They also discussed the strategic importance of their integration into the EU energy market and their strategic contribution to the EU Energy Union in terms of energy security, diversification, and the integration of clean energy.
Ministers were joined by Ms. Olha Yukhymchuk, deputy minister of energy of Ukraine for European Integration and Mr Dorin Junghietu, minister of energy of Moldova, who provided an overview of the energy situation in their countries.
