The European Commission will no longer present a legal proposal on April 15 to permanently ban imports of Russian oil, as previously planned, according to the updated legislative agenda of the European Union released on Tuesday.
However, an EU official told Reuters that the proposal has not been canceled and will still be published, though not in mid-April, due to “current geopolitical developments.”
The proposal is expected to legally establish a full phase-out of Russian oil imports no later than the end of 2027. The EU has already approved a gradual phase-out of gas imports from Russia by the same deadline.
According to the International Energy Agency, the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Israel against Iran is causing the largest disruption in oil supply in history, driving up global crude oil prices.
