Ministerial Committee on EU Affairs discusses phase-out of Russian gas imports into the EU
In its meeting on Friday 22 August, the Ministerial Committee on European Union Affairs discussed the phasing out of Russian natural gas imports into the EU and the upcoming informal meetings of defence and foreign affairs ministers.
The Ministerial Committee on EU Affairs outlined Finland’s position on the European Commission’s June proposal for a regulation to stop imports of Russian natural gas to EU countries. The goal is to gradually and systematically phase out imports of natural gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) originating in or imported through Russia into the Union market as of 1 January 2026. Finland no longer receives natural gas or LNG from Russia. Finland’s positions will be made public once they have been discussed at a government session.
The Ministerial Committee on EU Affairs also discussed the following two informal ministerial meetings:
- Informal meeting of defence ministers on 28–29 August
- Informal meeting of foreign affairs ministers (Gymnich) on 29–30 August
The Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU will host the informal meeting of defence ministers in Copenhagen. Topics on the agenda for the meeting include military support to Ukraine, promoting European defence readiness, and crisis management operations under the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP).
The EU foreign affairs ministers will also meet in Copenhagen. Items on the agenda for their informal meeting include Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East.
Inquiries: Juuso Kilpinen, Special Adviser for EU Affairs, tel. +358 50 322 9636, Jari Luoto, Director General, EU Affairs Department, tel. +358 50 468 5949, and Anne Sjöholm, Head of Communications for EU Affairs, tel. +358 40 537 0733, Prime Minister’s Office