BSS/AFP) - EU lawmakers and European member states announced early Wednesday they had agreed a deal to ban all imports of Russian gas into the European Union by autumn 2027.

The accord marks a compromise between the member states and the European Parliament, which wanted the ban to come in sooner.

"Today, the Council presidency and the European Parliament`s representatives reached a provisional agreement on the regulation to phase out imports of Russian natural gas," said a European Council statement.

The move aims "to end dependency on Russian energy following Russia`s weaponisation of gas supplies with significant effects on the European energy market", it said.

The ban on long-term contracts will apply from November 1, 2027 at the latest for gas delivered by pipelines and from January 1, 2027 for liquified natural gas (LNG).

For short-term contracts, the ban will come in from April 25, 2026 for LNG and from June 17, 2026 for pipeline gas.

The timeline must get final approval from the European Parliament and member states.