Officials said on Friday that Germany is taking control of three Russia-owned refineries in the country to ensure energy security before a ban on Russian oil takes effect next year.

The Ministry of Economy said in a statement that Rosneft Deutschland GmbH and RN Refining & Marketing GmbH will be placed under the management of the German Federal Network Agency. As a result, the agency will also control the stakes of the companies in three refineries: PCK Schwedt, MiRo, and Bayernoil located in the east and south of the country.

The ministry added that Rosneft is responsible for about 12 percent of Germany's oil refining capacity and imports hundreds of millions of euros worth of oil from Russia each month.

It said the move will help ensure the continuity of energy supplies and was initially set to last six months. The Group of Seven countries also pledge to set a cap on Russian income from oil sales. The Russian company Gazprom says it cannot restart a major gas pipeline to Germany.

Rosneft had earlier stated that it does not intend to stop importing Russian oil, despite the looming EU ban that came into force on January 1, 2023.

The ministry said a long-term plan for the future of the PCK refinery in Schwedt, which employs about 12,000 people and supplies petroleum products to most of northeast Germany including Berlin, will also be announced.