en.Wedoany.com Reported - In June this year, Europe's liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports decreased by 9.2% compared to May, marking the third consecutive month of declining purchases.

This decline follows a record high of 13.6 billion cubic meters in March. According to data from Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE), supply from LNG terminals to the natural gas transmission networks of EU countries in June was approximately 10.2 billion cubic meters, down from about 11.23 billion cubic meters in May.

In terms of trends, the market saw significant growth in March, with imports rising 10.6% from February, but has since continued to decline. Imports fell 7% in April compared to March, 11% in May compared to April, and 9.2% in June compared to May.

Analysts attribute the decline to regulations approved by the EU earlier this year that phase out imports of Russian LNG and pipeline gas. According to the document, the ban on short-term LNG import contracts took effect on April 25, 2026, while the ban on long-term LNG import contracts will take effect on January 1, 2027. For pipeline gas, the ban on short-term contracts took effect on June 17, 2026, and the ban on long-term contracts will take effect on November 1, 2027.